Content

Questions You Must Ask and Get Answers to

HOW DO YOU ASCERTAIN THE QUALITY OF TRAINING BEFORE APPLYING TO AN INSTITUTION?

Although the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) has taken a brilliant step in recognizing the informal education sector in the National manpower development, leading to the establishment of IEIs and VEIs, after a thorough accreditation process, there is a need for prospects to know how to have their expectations met. If you are absolutely sure that by the end of your training at an institution, you would have acquired adequate skill, competency, and momentum to set up your own enterprise, your resolve to go for it would be boosted.

All IEIs published in the current JAMB/UTME brochure have been adjudged, up to standard by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and approved by the Federal Ministry of Education (FME). Accreditation of an institution is a confirmation that the training provider has satisfied the minimum criteria to do so. The criteria is based on:

Submission and satisfactory assessment of application
Inspection and verification of facilities at the training center
Availability of adequate human and materials resources
Evidence of satisfactory internal organization/structure
Payment of stipulated registration fees.

But if you have reasons to be skeptical about their standard, take the following step to clear doubts as soon as possible.

1. Discover the right program for you

Earlier in this book, I gave you a concise description of each program on offer at IEIs and the personality attributes that’s most suitable for studying them. It is better you choose a program in which you possess the natural ability to master. In case you need more information on how to chart a talent-based education path for yourself, pick up the book titled Practical Guide to Choosing the Right Career Path, by Abiona A. A. and Oladipupo O. A. to discover yours out of the seven groups of talents.

2. Identify the Institution offering your chosen program

Once you discover the right program for you, then identify the institutions where it’s on offer. In case you have more than one institution, you may prioritize based on location preference. This post should not be your only reference, because more institutions are undergoing approval process currently, and by the time you’re reading this, there could have been an update. So cross-check with current JAMB/UTME brochure and updated NBTE directory.

3. Find out the requirements for entry

Your primary source of information as to entry requirements is the current JAMB/UTME brochure. You could also get in touch with the admission office of the institution to confirm what you’ve got. Emphasis is on the admission office.

4. Contact the institution and ask questions

Ask questions about the fees, duration, affiliate industry for training, availability of hostel, possible job placement, about their graduated trainees, and so on. Phone call is faster than email in this regard, but you should try all channel.

5. Contact graduated trainees and ask questions

Make efforts to meet trainees who have attended the institution and ask about the quality of their program. Ask about the ease of obtaining your certificate. Ask if they’ll make the same choice if they can turn back the hands of time, and why? Every organization should be able to leverage the power of a satisfied customer as advocates and not mind the consequent de-marketing by unsatisfied customers.

6. Visit the institution and see for yourself

Make enquiries at the designated desk but beyond that, try to meet current trainees and ask questions. You’re are trying to know about how students are treated, quality of the training and practical and if the information you got from institute officials about the institution are indeed.

7. Make up your mind and take action

Having exhausted all avenue and questions in satisfying your curiosity, by now every iota of doubts must have been cleared. So go ahead and take action, whether to apply to that institution or consider an alternative. On your scale of preference, you could as well scrutinize more than one option concurrently. For instance, if it’ll take one week to do your findings, that one week could have been used to enquire on five different institutions.