Ownership and Utilisation of Information and Communication Technology Devices by Technical College Graduates in Professional Settings and Personal Skill Development (Published)
The study investigated the extent to which ownership of Information, Communication Technology (ICT) gadgets, and awareness of the utility value of the gadgets among Technical, Vocational Education and Training (TVET) graduates has translated to their employability or personal skill enhancement in Enugu State. A cross sectional survey design was adopted in the study. A sample of 308 respondents were drawn using the stratified random selection process across the six education zones in Enugu State. The questionnaire was the major instrument for data collection. Data was analyzed using table summaries, frequency count, and the Pearson Chi -square (ҳ2). The three hypotheses were tested at 95 percent level of significance. Findings show that majority of TVET graduates are ICT compliant 97.4% for males and 95.5% for females. However, the use of ICT skills among the TVET graduates was found to be more inclined to social activities than self-development, work and employment creation. Urban based TVET graduates were more knowledgeable in ICT skills (52%) than rural based TVET graduates (37%). The modal age for use of ICT at work was 19-21 years among the TVET graduates and declined with age. Males TVET graduates in Enugu used ICT skills for self-development and work than females. In conclusion, while the TVET graduates in Enugu possess some ICT skill set required by employers and self-development, this has not resulted into improving employability. The TVET graduates were also not known to have made use of their ICT skills in creating employment for themselves.
Keywords: Devices, Information and Communication Technology, Ownership, personal skill development, professional settings, technical college graduates, utilisation