Centre For and Vocational and Entrepreneurial Studies
In realization that white collar jobs are gradually getting out of reach of the people, the University established the Centre for Entrepreneurial and Vocational Studies (CENVOS) to further equip the students against unemployment. This goal does not in any way inhibit the efforts in making the University’s graduates to be professionally and academically sound in their major courses of study. The importance of this is that by the time the students are graduating, they would have been equipped with both the certificate to teach and the inherent skills of entrepreneurship knowledge to meet the challenges of self-reliance in contemporary Nigeria and the world at large.
Facilities:
The Centre commenced operations in 2005 at inception of the University from BLOCK “C”. The new CENVOS building was declared open on January 4th 2018 by Chairman and members of The University Council who, in their wisdom, renamed the Centre after the immediate past Vice Chancellor and now known as Professor Oluyemisi Oluremi Obilade Centre for Entrepreneurial and Vocational Studies.
The Vocational Studies Units offers the following programmes:
(1) Fruit juice, beverages and non alcoholic drink production
(2) Bee-Keeping
(3) Fashion Designing
(4) Shoe and Bag making
(5) Hair dressing and cosmetology.
HUMAN RESOURCES (PERSONNEL)
Teaching Staff:
The Centre does not have its own teaching staff but relies on staff from the academic departments who teach related courses to provide instruction for its courses. These academic staff members are coordinated by Co-coordinators appointed for each of the academic units of the Centre that includes General Studies (GNS), Entrepreneurship courses (ENT) and Vocational courses (VOS).
Administrative Staff:
Administrators are also drawn from academic administrative units of the University headed by a Director.
PROGRAMMES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTRE:
The following GNS, ENT and Vocational studies courses are run and coordinated by the Centre:
(i) GENERAL STUDIES COURSES (GNS)
Code Course Title
(ii) ENTREPRENEURIAL COURSES (ENT)
Code Course Title
(iii) VOCATIONAL STUDIES COURSES (VOS)
Vocational Course Title
PRACTICAL FACILITIES AT THE CENTRE
Plantain Plantation: The Centre has established a plantain plantation with over 500 stands of plantain already producing fruits for sale.
Fish Ponds and Hatchery: The Centre has seven earthen ponds of different sizes. It also has a hatchery complex. All these are used for students’ hands-on practical and commercial production.
Cassava Farm: The Centre also has over six (6) acres of cassava farm used for practicals by students offering GNS 222 (Land Use).
HAIR DRESSING AND COSMETOLOGY: The Centre houses a standard hairdressing and cosmetology centre with equipment and facilities for beauty care, barbingsaloon, body massaging etc.
FRUIT JUICE, BEVERAGES AND NON ALCOHOLIC DRINK PRODUCTION: This unit produces orange and pineapple fruit juice. We also produce high quality custard packaged in 350grms and 1.5kg packs
FASHION DESIGNING: The fashion designing unit has the state of the art straight sewing and industrial machines. We also have ordered for the procurement of four head – digital monogramme machine for fabric structural designing and branding and also heat transfer equipment. The one already acquired does not meet with the target of the university.
The Centre’s Fashion designing unit has handled some garment production services which includes production of school uniforms for Tai Solarin University of Education Secondary School (TASUESS) and graduation gowns for our University and Higher institutions around.
SHOE AND BAG MAKING: This unit has standard machines and is involved in the production of high quality shoes and exquisite bags for local and international conferences and workshops.
MARKETABLE PRODUCTS: From the hands-on practical sessions of our Vocational studies and GNS courses, the following courses are being realized and sold to the community:
Vocational Final Clearance and feedback:
The Centre has continued to authenticate and certify that students fulfill requirements of the University Senate by ensuring and enforcing the policy that all JME students must pass at least three of the vocational skill courses, while all direct entry students must pass at least two vocational skill courses registered for before such students would be cleared for graduation.
ISSUANCE OF CENVOS CERTIFICATES: The University Management has commenced issuance of Certificates of Proficiency to graduating students in their chosen vocational area. Feedbacks received from our graduates have continued to reveal that most of them get employed with their Vocational experience than main courses studied.
Available records have shown that many of our graduates rely on their vocations for livelihood after graduation more than their real course of study. Many have turned to be job givers in their areas of specialization.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Centre has through its activities contributed immensely in the community services of our local community and the world in general.
Plantain Plantation: The Centre has established a plantain plantation with other 500 stands of plantain already producing fruits for sale. The fruits produced are sold to the general public which includes the university staff and immediate community at give away prices. The staff members who could not afford cash at point of transaction are given the opportunity of paying in installment from salary source.
Fish Ponds and Hatchery: The Centre has seven earthen ponds of different sizes. We also have hatchery complex. All these are used for students’ hands-on practical and commercial production. The sales are extended to the larger society.
Cassava Farm: We have over six acres of cassava farm used for the hands on practical for students offering GNS 222 – Land Use. The centre is now poised to also veer into serious livestock production as an additional unit of Land use. The Garri and cassava flour (Elubo) produced are sold to the members of our immediate and extended environment.
Hair Dressing and Cosmetology: The centre houses a standard unisex hairdressing and cosmetology unit with equipment and facilities for beauty care, barbing saloon, body massaging etc.
Fruit Juice, Beverages and Non-Alcoholic Drink Production: This unit produces orange and pineapple fruit juice. It also produces high quality custard packaged in small and medium packs.
Fashion Designing: The fashion designing unit has the state of the art straight sewing and industrial machines. We render exquisite services to the community through our fashion unit. Such services include production of Academic gowns, School uniforms.
Shoe and Bag Making: This unit has standard machines and is involved in the production of high quality shoes and exquisite bags.
Empowerment through Job Creation: It is on record that graduates of the University adjust faster to the nation’s unemployment challenges by being employers of labour even before graduation.
Production of Souvenirs: Products of the Centre are always used as souvenirs at University events and as gifts to University visitors.
COURTESY VISITS AND EXTENSION SERVICES
– The Centre at various times received representatives of some tertiary institutions who came to understudy her operations. Prominent among these are Representative from:
– Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife
– Ibrahim Badamosi University Lapai, Niger State
– Lagos State Polytechnic, Lagos
– Extension services for youths of Ile Ogbo Community Osun State.
– Summer Holiday Programme
