The President/CEO of MFP Global Services and Board Member of Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA), Dr Oyebade Oyedepo has counselled tertiary institutions offering accounting courses to introduce accounting clinic to fix the practical deficit in graduates they chun out to labour market.
This recommendation was given to the management of Omololu Olunloyo Polytechnic, Ibadan when he accompanied the Chairman of Lagelu & District Society of ICAN, Chief (Mrs) Omokemi Oladipo, FCA and some of the executives of the District on a courtesy visit to the institution recently.
According to the MFP top brass, the practical knowledge deficit in accounting graduates is becoming worrisome as this is making them unemployable. According to him, if the recommendation is embraced, it will expose the accounting students about to finish from school to the practical experience of how accounting postings are done, how auditing is carried out, how tax matters are handled and how secretarial services are done. This knowledge will stand them out when they are out there searching for jobs.
The institutions can replicate this kind of knowledge for other professional courses as well to beef up their capacity while in school.
According to Dr Oyebade Oyedepo, this recommendation is different from the usual industrial training or SIWES training program embarked upon by students. This one involves partnering with professional bodies and or corporate organizations to come over to train the final year students some months before their graduation in their various institutions. The students may be made to pay for the training separately from their tuition to make the program sustainable. The added value will definitely surpass the cost incurred. If this is not done, the nation will continue to produce graduates difficult to find jobs easily.
According to the Anti-Corruption Czar, the program if introduced will be beneficial to the graduates, employers of labour and the nation at large.
The management of the Institution promised to look into the recommendation for possible implementation.
The MFP President/CEO, Dr Oyebade Oyedepo is a Past Chairman of Ibadan & District Society of ICAN & CITN. He is a Past Zonal Chairman of ICAN and a Former Member of ICAN National Governing Council. He is a Patron of Ibadan & District Society of ICAN and a Former Vice Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors, Oyo State Chapter.