About Enterprise Development Centre of The Polytechnic Imesi-Ile.
The Directorate of Enterprise Development Centre of The Polytechnic, Imesi-Ile is established in response to the need to accelerate the teaching/coaching of entrepreneurship in the institution. This collaborates with the Entrepreneur Education Development (EED) course of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) which makes it compulsory for every student in National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) to undertake. It has both the theory and practical aspects.
The theoretical EED course teaches basic entrepreneurship with it detailed sub-topics and the practical aspect deals with each student to learn a skill or vocation. The EED carries a 2 credit unit which is usually taken in the first semester in the academic session. The aim is to encourage graduates to become job creators rather than job seekers.
The Rector of The Polytechnic, Imesi-Ile, Dr. ‘Gbola Adesina in his wisdom establishes the Directorate of Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) to align the institution with the requirement of NBTE in EED. The EDC is saddled with the following responsibilities:
- To be responsible for the planning and implementation of the centre in line with NBTE course outline in EED
- To be responsible for the strategic implementation The Polytechnic, Imesi-Ile business ideas with the sole aim of generating revenue for the institution as IGR
- To be responsible for the management of employees of TPI on human capital development and improvement in their economic welfare through self-help and introduction of other beneficial social-economic concepts such as staff to be registered with Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS)/National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Pension Scheme.
- To this end, the EDC has crafted three major objectives or goals which are fashioned in the three strata that form the institution stakeholders which are: Student, Staff and School focused objectives (the 3 “S”)
The Student Focused Objectives
This is to ensure students are trained, coached and mentored toward becoming an astute entrepreneurs or an ability to be employable in the labour market. Two programs were formulated to be able to support the objective.
They are the Student Mandatory Entrepreneurship Program (SMEP) and The Student Voluntary Entrepreneurship Program (SVEP).
SMEP has three sub courses which are:- Computer Appreciation,
- Career Development and
- Business Planning & development Courses.
- Tailoring,
- Electrical Technician,
- Catering and Event management,
- Auxiliary Nursing,
- Digital Photography,
- Data Science,
- Graphic Designs and Animation,
- Poultry Management.
- Hair Dressing Salon, Barbing Salon
The Staff Focused Objectives
The centre has developed self-help initiatives for the staff’s improved economic well-being. The following programs are in Work-in-Progress (WIP):TPI Staff Cooperative and Consumer Society, Staff Member’s Owned Farm at the permanent site, Introduction of Medical Insurance Schemes such as OHIS and NHIS and Introduction of the Contributory Pension Scheme.
The School Focused Objectives
One of the objectives of TPI is to be in the forefront of providing professional advice to the management to incorporate business ventures in the area of production and services. Such services like Gas Refilling and Petrol stations, Printing Press (DTP) Modern Vehicle Maintenance Services Production of Customised Table/Sachet Water, Animal Husbandry Fisheries
Access to Grants through Donour Agencies The centre is also to exploit the possibility of accessing national and international grants or donors in the area of academic and technology drives.
The centre has applied and submitted a proposal for the Federal Ministry of Education/The World Bank
grant titled:
Innovation Development and Effectiveness of Skills (IDEA) Project IDA:166239, component four
(Innovation
Grant Facility
(IGF) award to support Digital Skills Development.
The award is valued at Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($350,000). The grants proposal has been
acknowledged and we are
hopeful that the keenly contested grants will be won by The Polytechnic Imesi-Ile.
TPI EDC will in the long and short runs bring a high reputation to the institution giving goodwill that will make the school ranked high among its peers in Nigeria thereby creating a distinction to differentiate the school thereby making it attractive for admission seekers, a highly motivated member of staff, management and lastly, a legendary higher institution making the owners proud.