While employee competence is recognized as a pivotal determinant of workforce satisfaction: globally, its dynamics within Nigeria’s federal education sector remain insufficiently examined. This study investigates the effect of employee competence, operationalized through technical and social skills, on job satisfaction in Federal Unity Schools, Abuja, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design targeted 1,229 teaching staff across six institutions. Using Taro Yamane’s (1967) formula, 311 valid survey responses were obtained and analysed via multiple regression using SPSS Version 28. Findings reveal that both technical and social skills exert significant positive effects on employee job satisfaction, jointly explaining 69.4% of the variance (R² = 0.694). Continuous investment in educators’ professional development was recommended as being critical to sustaining workforce satisfaction. Consequently, policymakers and school administrators must institutionalize structured competence programs targeting both the technical proficiencies and interpersonal capabilities of teachers.
Keywords: Job Satisfaction, Social Skills, employee competence, technical skills, unity schools
