Before we delve into the main body of this article, it is important we get a grasp on the meaning of education. So that brings us to the question: what is education?

Education is basically the process by which learning is facilitated, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. It is therefore unfortunate that so many people don’t understand it from the perspective of the definition above. Whenever the word ‘education’ is mentioned, people cast their mind on formal education only and leave out informal education. Formal education is classroom-based and handled by trained/seasoned teachers, informal education, on the other hand, happens outside the classrooms, at home, at community-based organisations, after-school programs, museums. Both formal and informal education is quite important. Practically, informal education can be likened to vocational education.

Vocational education is important in our world today such that students are compelled to enrol for vocational education so as to complement their formal education hereby positioning themselves for a better employment or jobs creation. As a matter of fact, undergraduate students that possess vocational skills (such as art/designs, electrical repairs, fashion designing, hair styling amongst others) usually make money while on campus by rendering their vocational services to people that need them and also makes money by teaching people these vocational skills. This shows a sense of responsibility on their part, instead of calling their parents/guardians everytime they need upkeep money. Such students won’t get frustrated from looking for limited jobs after graduation, rather they will create jobs by employing more hands in order to grow their small business which they’ve started since their undergraduate days.

People shy away from creating a business after acquiring vocational training, perhaps because in most cases, the profit isn’t fixed i.e someone might make 100,000 naira this month and 70,000 naira the following month, whereas if you have a regular day job, you are certain of a steady income in that 100,000 naira is 100,000 naira per month. However, dogged business owners aren’t relenting by this by this mere fact since they quite understand the term “bountiful harvest”. That 100,000 naira income in the preceding month can be 200,000 naira or more in the succeeding month.

Someone that is equipped with one or more vocational skills can never go hungry because various vocational services are requested for daily and if you can render such services to them, they will happily pay you for solving their problems.

Which vocational skills do you have? Your formal education isn’t enough to survive in our rapidly changing world. If you don’t have any vocational skill, endeavour to have one or more today. Never forget that it is not the education you acquire that matters, rather it is what you with it that matters a lot. So put yours (formal or vocational) to good use and reap bountiful harvest thereby staying financially independent.

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