Education Versus Skill

Education vs Skills

In Nigeria today we have two classes of youth. We have the one whose parent put up to learn a trade or a skill such as "mechanic" or "tailor" and we have those in our own category whose parents put on the part of education. Both parents have one thing in mind: that the young lad should grow up and be able to fend for himself and the family he/she will eventually make.

The lad that learns a skill and starts at the age of say ten know that after about ten years he will do "freedom" and start a workshop of his own, be his own boss, and from then onwards fend for himself and eventually his family too.

The lad whose "parents choose the path of education for him" will pick a career path that most fits his JAMB score and will know that his options are to get the best grades possible, get a job and work for one big man for a while, earn 20% of the value he adds to the big man's company and eventually retire after many years and still depend on the big man for pension to survive the other years that he has left before he dies.

If the educated lad cannot fend for his family on his salary and it is not just enough, he begins to add some other means such as trading, farming, etc just to keep body and soul together.

The one that is most victorious if we were really to look at it well is the one who chooses the path of education, which is in line with his skill. The gift of a man will make way for him. Such a person will get a job and dictate the price because he will most likely be the best at what he does and when he is fed up of working under somebody he will start his own. He will so easily be an entrepreneur and an employer of labour

We were not told these things while we were choosing our career, most of us picked the course that was given or most convenient for us without putting passion and skill into consideration and we suddenly find ourselves in the crowd or should I say "The rat race".

There is hope however, though things cannot be reversed again. We cannot go back to school now to study what is more in line with our skill. If we could, we should.... on the other hand we should seek to do what we love and love what we do. We should think of being a job creator and not a job seeker.

We should most importantly leave a better legacy for our children.

This is my piece


Cheers all
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