BENIN CITY — Stakeholders in Benin City renewed calls for stronger skills training programmes as attention focused on the need to equip young people with practical knowledge and abilities that could improve their employment and entrepreneurial opportunities. The demand reflected wider concerns about the ability of conventional education alone to prepare young people for a changing labour market. Skills development had continued to attract attention in Edo State as government institutions, training organisations and other stakeholders explored ways of improving vocational and technical education. Stakeholders maintained that young people needed access to practical training that could enable them to acquire marketable skills and become more self-reliant. They said well-designed training programmes could help reduce unemployment by giving participants the knowledge required to start businesses or compete for available jobs. The renewed support for skills training also highlighted concerns about the quality and accessibility of existing vocational programmes. Stakeholders called for improvements in training facilities, equipment and teaching methods, arguing that trainees needed opportunities to learn with tools and equipment similar to those used in the workplace. They also stressed the importance of linking training programmes to actual demands in the labour market. According to stakeholders, courses should be designed around skills that were relevant to businesses and industries so that graduates could have a better chance of securing employment or establishing their own enterprises. Young people and community representatives also called for training opportunities to be made accessible to people from different backgrounds, particularly those who might not have the financial resources to pursue conventional higher education. They maintained that vocational education could provide an alternative pathway for young people seeking practical careers. Stakeholders further urged government and private organisations to strengthen partnerships that could provide funding, equipment and opportunities for trainees to gain practical experience. They said cooperation with businesses would help training institutions understand the skills employers required and improve the transition from training to employment. The discussions also underscored the importance of entrepreneurship support for people who acquired vocational skills. Stakeholders said training would have a greater impact when graduates could access finance, mentorship and other forms of assistance needed to establish small businesses. In Benin City, the renewed attention to skills development reflected growing recognition that education policy needed to respond to the economic realities facing young people. Stakeholders said reforms should focus not only on increasing access to education but also on ensuring that learners acquired useful and employable skills. They called for sustained investment in vocational and technical training and urged relevant institutions to strengthen existing programmes. As discussions continued, stakeholders maintained that a stronger skills training system could contribute to reducing unemployment, encouraging entrepreneurship and preparing young people for opportunities in the changing economy.