Technical Human Capital Obsolescence and Age Relationship in the Building Construction Industry: A case of Nigeria (Published)
The Building Construction Industry (BCI) is among the businesses that depend on the agility and viability of the workforce. Consequently, it invests heavenly in the development of employees’ knowledge and skills, otherwise known as human capital. However, individual’s human capital is bound to deteriorate owning to atrophy (nonuse of skills) and inevitable changes, which could be as a result of ageing process, wear, injuries, and/or illnesses, in the individual. This deterioration is known technical human capital obsolescence. Thus, using descriptive study, this paper investigates technical human capital obsolescence in the BCI and its relationship with workers’ aging. Three research questions guided the study and questionnaire was administered to 387 randomly selected BCI workers. 278 questionnaires representing 71.83 percent were successfully completed and returned. The data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, Pearson Correlation Coefficient, Kruskal-Wallis H test statistics and SPSS software. The findings indicate, among other things, that, individual’s technical obsolescence due to wear is not a function of age. It is recommended that the industry and her workers intermittently evaluate their skills with the view of finding the specific obsolescence and providing measure(s) to alleviate its effects in the industry.
Keywords: : Human Capital, Industry, Nigeria, Technical, age relationship, building construction, obsolescence
Local Content Development in the Oil and Gas Industry in Nigeria: Problems and Prospects (Published)
In the past, the major players in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria were the international oil companies (IOCs). There was inadequate skilled workforce in the industry especially with respect to indigenous participation in the oil and gas projects. Consequently, the IOCs relied heavily on expatriates to carry out projects in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria which ordinarily would have been handled by Nigerians. In order to boost local participation in the oil and gas projects and create more employment opportunities for the locals, the federal government of Nigeria in 2010, enacted the Local Content Act in recognition of the inadequacy of the indigenous human capital development in the oil and gas industry in Nigeria. However, the Local Content development policy of the federal government is without some problems which have affected the effective and efficient implementation of the policy. This paper therefore, examines the local content development policy of the federal government, identifies its problems and prospects, and makes appropriate recommendations.
Keywords: Content, Development, GAS, Industry, Nigeria, local, oil
TVET STIGMATIZATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: REALITY OR FALACY? (Published)
TVET (Technical Vocational Education and Training) programmes have been in existence in most developing African countries including Ghana for decades. But their intended productive and inventive output of producing readily employable and or self-employable graduates, and serving as real economic bail out for the deteriorating economies in Africa is yet to be achieved. This worrying development has culminated in a stigmatization towards the study of the TVET programmes in higher institutions in Ghana. This paper therefore explores briefly the historicity of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Ghana, including the tertiary-based TVET institutions (particularly, polytechnics and universities). Through in-depth inquiry, this paper investigates the root cause of the stigmatization and its concomitant effects on the nation, the learners and the higher institutions of training in such programmes. Using comparative analytical methodology, the study revealed that there is curriculum deficiency in TVET programmes; logistical challenge due to inadequate funding; poor linkage of TVET to industry; unfair trend of inappropriate categorization of graduates on the field and a continuous chain of leadership crisis. The paper recommends more dynamic, innovative and modern curriculum review to include product and industrial design courses such as animation, game design, robotics, interior decoration, multimedia design, aircraft, automobile and ship design, structural and industrial painting and medical engineering.
Keywords: Demand-Driven, Industry, Productivity, School-Based TVET, Stigmatization