A skill can simply be defined as the ability to do something well. It
can also be referred to as ability and capacity acquired through deliberate,
systematic, and sustained effort in order to smoothly and adaptively carryout
complex activities or job functions involving ideas, things, and/or people.
Similarly, skill acquisition is the process of acquiring a certain skill
by an individual through a thorough intensive training over a given period of
time. Skill acquisition involves both theoretical and practical training
regardless of its duration.
Skill can be classified into three major parts including cognitive skills,
technical skills and interpersonal skills. A cognitive skill deals with ideas;
technical skill is the ability to handle things or a certain human endeavour
effectively and efficiency. Whilst, interpersonal skill is the ability to
relate with people around you usually in business or work places. There are
hundreds of thousands of skills in existence such as sporting skill, cultural
skill, installation skill, maintenance skill, manufacturing skill, management
skill and what have you.
Skill is required in every area
of human endeavour and it enables the entrepreneurship drive of any nation to
be actualized. The most important aspect of skill acquisition is that it
benefits all classes in any society involved especially the masses.
A small or medium scale entrepreneur is expected to hire many skilled
people to take on tasks that are outside of his/her skill set. However, every
individual either a prospective leader or business personnel, must relentlessly
strive to acquire the skills that will make him/her a great leader or a
successful businessperson as the case may be.
Someone who has commenced a business or trade venture owing to his
specialized skills and knowledge related to a particular service or product is
required to expand his skills to be a successful entrepreneur. Such measure is
referred to as ‘Skill enhancement’. No doubt, improving skills related to
acquiring money or raising capital for a business boost represents the
difference between success and failure of the venture in question.
Unequivocally, being good at starting a business does not automatically
make one good at planning for growth. He/she must acquire planning skills that
tie his/her vision to practical steps, which the business can take to realize
that vision. The acquisition of the aforementioned skill is important because
without it, your firm or business venture can stagnate and lose out to the
competition.
One may have envisioned a smooth rise to the top when he commenced his business, but the truth is that he will surely encounter crisis or challenging situations. Whether it has to do with shortage of money or the loss of his facilities to a fire disaster, he must acquire the skills that would enable him to remain calm in times of turmoil and maintain his ability to make adequate decisions. This step is very vital because the affected person can learn to triumph when it looks like he could be defeated. Needless to say that skill acquisition in decision making remains an inevitable tool while carrying out a business strategy.
On the other hand, the importance of
acquiring strong communication skills will be evident in all of one’s
entrepreneurial activities. From networking to leadership, one needs to
constantly and consistently update his communication skills to enable him form
alliances and encourage consensus.
Taking Nigeria as a case study,
you would noticed that most of our young ones or the youth are potentially
preoccupied with variety of skills in various areas of human endeavour ranging
from culture to sports, engineering/sciences, art works, and leadership, that
need to be develop with a view to strengthening their respective
entrepreneurship prowess towards nation-building.
To this end, there is need to encourage our young ones to be acquainted
as well as acquire proficiency in one skill or the other within their reach.
The schools can help in this regard by ensuring that the pupils or students
regularly create time for guidance and counselling during their school hours. A
good counselling would enable each of them to discover their potential skills
or abilities thereby making them develop an interest in that area. The parents
and guardians on their part should not hesitate to boost the morale of their
children or wards in any skill they are fit in by providing all the needed
materials or facilities for them to excel.
Inter alia, there is an urgent need to revive the various technical
colleges and commercial schools situated across the federation that are currently
moribund. And at the tertiary level, the Entrepreneurship Studies, which are
usually done by the undergraduates as General studies, ought to be taken more
seriously by the various school managements. More so, the ongoing Industrial
Training (IT) and Teaching Practice (TP) schemes being observed by the
Universities/Polytechnics and Colleges of Education respectively must be
intensified by the concerned authorities. Above all, the various cultural
heritages across the country need to be revisited with the aim of harnessing
the required ones; this will go a long way to discover and reawaken thousands
of skills among the youth.
On Wednesday July 15, the world over celebrated the maiden edition of the World Youth Skills Day. The Day, which is aimed at enhancing the youth’s ability in order to make informed life and work choices, was established by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly on November 11, 2014. World Youth Skills Day was initiated in the UN by the effort of the Sri Lanka Representative. The UN General Assembly calls on member states to observe the Day in an appropriate manner.
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the annual World Youth Skills Day, I call on the governments at all levels, the civil society, religious bodies, corporate organizations, and well-meaning individuals to intensify awareness on the importance of skills acquisition as well as look for a way they can contribute their respective quotas in the crusade with a view to eradicating the ongoing socio-economic crisis ravaging the country. Think about it!
COMR FRED DOC
NWAOZOR
(The Media Ambassador)_____________________________________
frednwaozor@gmail.com
+2348028608056 Follow: @fdnnwaozor / @fred_nwaozor
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