Experts to students: acquire skills, certificates.
Students of the Department of Mass Communication, Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH) have been advised to embrace skills that will make them stand out in the workplace.
It was at the fourth Town-Gown Summit of the department tagged: “Your skill(s), your future!”.
Experts who spoke were a seasoned journalist and media career development specialist, Mr. Lekan Otufodunrin; Chief Executive Officer, Modion Communication, Mr. Odion Aleouba; Public Relations and media specialist, Mr. Tayo Akanle and Head of Marketing, Lagos Traffic Radio (96.1FM), Mr. Dare Durosimi, who represented the station’s General Manager.
Aleouba in his presentation entitled: “Disruption of Public Relations in the digital age”, predicted the future of Public Relations (PR) and explained the trends in the PR space.
“Edelman, the world’s top earning PR Agency posted $984.921,000 revenue in 2022 more than the $798,825,835 earned by Manchester City, the world’s richest football club same year.
“PR is no longer just securing editorial spaces, but spaces in the minds of the consumers”
“Evolving customer and communications trends make digital storytelling, social listening, social purpose and big data as the defining factors in the industry in the nearest future,” he said.
Otufodunrin, who spoke on: “Your skills, your future”, urged the students to get employable skills.
“I studied Mass Communication in University of Lagos between 1982 and 1985. My news writing skills, which I learnt at UNILAG and internship got me a job in The Punch, which has taken me round the world”
“It is expedient for everyone to have a skill as utilisation of such skills will take you to the top.
“The industry is not asking for PhD skill from the student, but basic skills; start now to connect the dot between the classroom learning and the simple industrial skills to make a difference.
“Question the existing protocol so you can make an innovation and impact in your field. The goal is to have team work, sit down, brain storm with the people that have skills different from yours and make things work.”
Head of Department Mass Communication, Dr Prosper Zannu assured the audience that the summit had come to stay.
He assured students of the department that they were central to all the planning being done and that was why they were given the platform to organise the event.
A lecturer in the department, Mr. Ibrahim Fatoyinbo, said: “I would like to advise students to take home every bit of what the facilitators have said on building on their skill because the 21st century is beyond your certificate or certification. If you have a certificate, fantastic, but you must have a skill to backup your certification because these days, when they ask you what you can do, though they will check your certificate.”
Yetunde Adebiyi, an HND 2 student from the department of Mass Communication said: “I enjoyed Aleouba and Otufodunrin’s lectures. They actually inspired us to get more skills and discover our skills. The latter made us know that in the labour market, you cannot achieve anything without having additional skills. So, if you don’t have one yet, get one and if you have one, try to discover and improve on it.”
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