Work-ready Skills: HR Expert Seeks Review of Tertiary Institutions’ Curriculum

By Uchechukwu Nnaike

A human resource management expert, Mrs. Faith Akintunde, has called on tertiary institutions to step up in equipping students with adequate skills so asijhhu to prepare them for the world of work and national development.

She said this in Lagos recently, at an event with the theme ‘Equipping Corporate Professionals to Maximise Opportunities’, organised to present her book, ‘360° Career’ to the public.

According to her, ”there is this conversation for the need for a handshake between universities or tertiary institutions and the corporate space.

”There is also the need to encourage universities to redesign their curriculum in such a way that it will match with the needs in the corporate space so that by the time we produce graduates, they will be very useful not only to themselves but also to the nation at large,” she said.

Akintunde also urged organisations and business owners to invest hugely in human capital development for optimum performance.

She said such an investment is required to keep an organisations going, especially in the face of the global economic challenges, occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

”I strongly believe that people are the strongest competitive edge that any company can have. This is because the more investment you can make in people, the more the chances of the organisation doing well.
”What inspired the outcome of the book we are launching today is my strong passion in human capacity development.

”Some organisations have the passion or desire to invest in workforce, but do not have the financial ability, while some have the ability, but do not have the resources. Some believe in the long-term potential for investing in people.

”There are, however, some organisations that would want to invest in people but because they do not have the assurance that if they invest in such people, the people will, in return invest in them,” she said.
Quoting Richard Brandson, she said: “You can train people and expect that they are going to leave you, but what happens if they do not leave you?

”Why not train them with the intention and desire that they will stay, because if they indeed stay, they are going to deploy the knowledge and the capability that you have developed in them into the organisation.”

Akintunde, a productivity coach and founder of HR Pro Leverage (HRPL), said investment in people would last for a lifetime and would outlast the organisation.

She said many organisations would want to prioritise resources during crisis, and would want to look at critical indices that if overlooked, might jeoroadise their growth.

In such situation, she said training is one of those things that determines the extent of capacity that is in an organisation.

”For me, if there is crisis, I will rather advise that you do not sack people, but find a way to still develop them with your internal resources.

”It is not every training that requires one to put in much money. You have people who are already operating at a higher level, who can train those coming up.”

According to her, the book is a career guide that every professional will need to excel.

”It is a 148-page book with eight chapters that will teach you how you can craft your curriculum in a way that recruiters can easily find something that will attract them.

”In addition, it contains exciting contents that will expose you to how you can prepare yourself for an interview and when you get the job, how to manage your boss.

”In a case where the environment is difficult, it also teaches you how to navigate, and as an individual, how to expect the prospects in your career,” Akintunde said.

The publisher of the book, Mrs. Lilian Akwunwa, Malicha said the career book was rare, but needful following the current situation in the country.

”As the publisher, I consider myself a midwife to the birthing of the 360° Career dream. Exactly a year ago, June 2020, the author, Faith Akintunde and I began the discussion around her ideas.

”It all started with her sharing her thoughts about contents she had put together from her decade plus experience in the corporate world. And I told her affirmatively that we could work with her content to produce a valuable career resource in book format.

”So we began her book project and the rest they say is history. The book project was not without its challenges and other concerns that came up at various phases, but today, over there to be unveiled, are proof of a worthwhile investment,” she said.

She described the book as an ‘A’ list, among the books her organisation had contributed to, published or even distributed across the country and beyond.

”I must say that, I have no doubt that 360 Degrees Career is the first of its kind and an invaluable tool that will give leverage to millions of corporate professionals in their chosen careers.

”Books as intellectual properties, are one of the cheapest source of knowledge and information. But ironically, writers and authors are one of the most undervalued creative professionals in this part of the world.

”Being that intellectual properties are not well valued, book launching such as this, is one way to appreciate the author, as well as the writing and publishing process.

”Having managed this book project from start to finish, I can guarantee that the financial investment in this project is in millions. The impact of this book cannot be quantified,” she stated.