Hassles And Panaceas to Building a Skilled Workforce Through Technical Vocational Education and Training in South-South Nigeria

Abstract

The South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria continues to experience a shortage of adequately prepared technical and vocational personnel, a situation associated with youth unemployment, limited employability and related social challenges. This study examined the barriers to, and possible interventions for, developing a skilled workforce through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in South-South Nigeria. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the investigation. A descriptive survey design was employed. The study covered the six states in the South-South zone, and 120 respondents were selected from a population of 413 university lecturers and technical-college teachers involved in TVET. Data were gathered with a researcher-developed questionnaire, the Hassles and Panaceas to Building a Skilled Workforce Through Technical Vocational Education and Training Questionnaire (HPBSWTTVETQ), which was validated by experts and recorded a Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.93. Research questions were analysed with mean and standard deviation, while the hypotheses were tested with the z-test. The findings identified inadequate funding, weak policy support, limited industry collaboration, negative perceptions of TVET, insufficient professional development, and other government-, student-, and teacher-related factors as important constraints. Strengthened public-private partnerships, curriculum updating, continuous teacher development, improved funding, and better provision of modern facilities and equipment were identified as key responses.