NYSC Sends HND Graduates Without IT Certificate Home

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has said polytechnic graduates or holders of the Higher National Diploma without evidence of embarking on the required 12-month industrial training will not be enlisted at the NYSC orientation camp to take part in the national youth service.

The NYSC has now mandated graduates of polytechnics and mono-technics to present an IT certification, as part of the prerequisites for the national service, especially for participation in the camp exercises.

The acting Director of Press and Public Relations, at NYSC, Mrs Caroline Lembu, stated that a certificate of industrial training is one of the requirements for polytechnic graduates to participate in the one-year national youth service.

NYSC spokesman, Lembu, confirmed that the implementation of the policy had started.

New Telegraph reports that the HND holders without IT certificates were being turned back from NYSC orientation camps across the country.

In Osun State, the NYSC Public Relations Officer, Funmi Okundaye, said the policy was being implemented.

In a statement reads, “They were not evicted from camp. It is not an issue in the Osun camp alone. It is a national policy to sanitise the education sector. We sent those who don’t have IT letters back home to bring it. It is part of the registration materials they must bring to camp.

“Once they bring their IT letters from where they observed it, they will be allowed to return to the camp,”

It was an equal situation in Niger State, where the NYSC spokesman in the state, Sam Oga, confirmed that polytechnic graduates without IT certificates were not being registered.

“Yes, we are implementing it. The NYSC HND candidates are not allowed into the camp without proof of IT. Until we get a counter directive they will not be allowed into the camp,” Oga noted.

The policy was also implemented in Kano State. Where the official stated “We are following orders”

Following this development, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) supported the policy. This was made known by the National President of Mr. Shammah Kpanja.

He stated “The industrial attachment is an extension of the National Diploma program and is a critical requirement for advancing to the Higher National Diploma.

“To be eligible for the HND, you must complete a one-year industrial attachment, where you acquire practical industry skills relevant to your field of study. After completing the IT, you can then enroll for the HND.

“However, some students bypass this requirement by staying at home after their ND and falsely claiming to have completed the IT when they apply for the HND. This deprives them of the practical experience that is essential for their development.

“The one-year industrial attachment is not just a formality; it’s a mandatory part of the training, and the skills gained during this period are expected to be demonstrated during the HND programme.”

Source : New Telegraph