Sustainable Construction Skills in TVET: Balancing Economic Growth, Environmental Protection, and Security in Nigeria (Published)
Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) play a critical role in developing industry-relevant skills required for sustainable development in the construction sector. However, in Nigeria, the contribution of TVET to sustainable construction remains limited due to skills mismatch, outdated curricula, inadequate resources, and insufficient integration of sustainability and safety principles. This study examined sustainable construction skills in TVET as a means of balancing economic growth, environmental protection, and security in Nigeria. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, combining quantitative and qualitative approaches. Primary data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to TVET educators, TVET students, and construction industry professionals, with 285 valid responses analysed. Descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, mean, and standard deviation) were used to analyse quantitative data using IBM SPSS Statistics 26, while qualitative responses were thematically analysed with NVivo 12. The findings revealed strong consensus that sustainable construction skills, such as energy-efficient construction techniques, sustainable materials usage, waste management, environmental impact assessment, and safety-oriented practices, are essential components of TVET programmes. The study further established that these skills significantly enhance employability, productivity, entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, workplace safety, and community security. The study concludes that effective integration of sustainable construction skills into TVET curricula is critical for achieving sustainable economic development, environmental stewardship, and national security in Nigeria, and recommends curriculum reform, instructor capacity building, industry collaboration, and increased investment in TVET infrastructure.
Keywords: Curriculum Development, Employability, Environmental sustainability, sustainable construction skills, technical vocational education and training