Adult Education and Human Capacity Building for Community Sustainability in Nigeria (Published)

The economic, social and environmental issues threatening humans as well as continual existence of communities in Nigeria, requires the contribution of all. Adult members, constituting greater portion of the country’s population, are seen as agents through which the economic, social and environmental challenges facing communities as well as the countries can be addressed. However, solutions to the plethora of issues confronting community sustainability, requires greater number of the adult’s population possessing the requisite knowledge and skills through education. Education seen as a powerful instrument for social change, helps reduce social and economic issues like poverty, hunger, crime, unemployment, social inequalities, disease, just to mention but few, and give individuals the opportunities to live fulfilled life. Although, education is categorized into formal, informal and non-formal dimension, this study specifically reviews literatures on adult education and human resources capacity building for community sustainability in Nigeria. From the contents of the literature reviewed, it was indicated that adult education programmes contributes towards sustainable growth, successful employment, self-reliance and access to justice for all in communities in Nigeria. Thus, adult education equips individuals with knowledge as well as skills capable of enhancing their potentials as well as capabilities in making effective contributions towards the social, economic and environmental sustainability of communities in Nigeria.

Citation: Uzoagu I.F (2023) Adult Education and Human Capacity Building for Community Sustainability in Nigeria, International Journal of Vocational and Technical Education Research, Vol.9, No.2 pp.1-12

Keywords: Adult Education, Community, Education, Human Capacity Building, Sustainability

Perceptions of Stakeholders on Student Teacher’s Wearing of School Uniforms: A Case of Some Selected Colleges of Education in Northern Region, Ghana (Published)

The study focused on two particular colleges of education in Ghana’s Northern Region and explored stakeholders’ perceptions of the use of school uniforms in colleges of education. The case study research design and qualitative methodology were used in the study. Convenience sampling was used to select fifty (50) stakeholders, including fifteen (15) tutors from Bagabaga College of Education, five (5) staff members from the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC), fifteen (15) tutors from Tamale College of Education, and fifteen (15) employees from the Sagnarigu Municipal Education Office in Tamale. The tool utilized to gather information for the research question created for the study was an interview. The study’s findings revealed that the majority of the study’s participants felt that wearing a uniform fosters equality, unity, and makes student teachers from various socioeconomic backgrounds same, as well as eliminating bullying and gang activity in colleges. Based on the research, it was suggested that each academic year, student teachers should attend orientation to learn about the uniform policy at the colleges of education and to understand that wearing a school uniform does not belittle them as tertiary students. In order to execute a standard policy at the colleges, college administration must be adaptable. If a unified policy is implemented, it must be assessed to determine whether it is effective.

 

Keywords: Colleges, Dress code, Education, Perception, School, Stakeholders, Uniform

Wood Artisan Training and Job Prospects in Sekondi Takoradi -The Hope, The Helplessness, And The Hatred (Published)

The paper aimed to investigate the wood artisanal education and training designed for the youth of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and the prevailing job prospects vis-a-vis the modern technologies, tools, equipment and materials required in the (artisanal) training and manufacturing of world-class wood products. The paper found that the wood market is available to wood artisans and wood products in the Metropolis. The quantitative design approach was applied as the work was based on information obtained from wood artisans and professionals, connoisseurs, curators and wood sellers. The primary information was acquired through interaction, observation and field survey, while secondary information was obtained from literary sources. The purposive sampling technique adopted the analytical method to analyse the data.The results showed that woodcraft artisans in the Metropolis lacked the requisite education and training in modern machinery and technological know-how needed to meet the International Standard Order (ISO) and the increasing taste of the prospective woodcraft market.The paper concludes that Sekondi-Takoradi will be threatened with employable woodcraft knowledge, skills and competencies required to meet the Metropolis’s woodcraft market and compete favourably with their Western and Asian counterparts.

Citation: Samuel Adentwi Bentum, Frederick Narkwa Anderson and Solomon Obuobisa Ayeh (2022)   Wood Artisan Training and Job Prospects in Sekondi Takoradi -The Hope, The Helplessness, And The Hatred, International Journal of Vocational and Technical Education Research, Vol.8, No.2 pp.9-29

 

Keywords: Education, Technology, Training, artisan, wood

Entrepreneurship Studies Education in Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria: Theories and Practices (Published)

The paper examined the extent to which entrepreneurship studies education had been effectively taught and learnt in tertiary institutions in Nigeria.  It outlined the core objectives of entrepreneurship Studies education. Entrepreneurship studies education has a lot of challenges such as lack of policy implementation and inadequate funding among others.  Requirements for its effective implementation are also outlined. The paper recommends that there be provision for adequate infrastructural materials, teachers and learners awareness and adequate provision of materials if the objectives of the course must actualized. The paper concluded that entrepreneurship studies education contributes significantly towards the growth and development of any given society

Keywords: Development, Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurs, Infrastructure

TVET and Industry: Revamped TVET Curriculum as the Missing Link for Sustainable Economic Growth and Development in Nigeria (Published)

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) aside from providing general education is established for training and practical skill development opportunities that attunes to national and local contexts. TVET graduates should be competent enough to apply scientific knowledge to improve and solve environmental problems. However, graduates from various TVET programmes have failed to justify this purpose. This paper explored the present curriculum using the Department of Computer Science, The Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro curriculum as a case study to identify this missing link. Descriptive and Inferential Statistical analysis carried out on some graduates of the Department explicitly working in Information Technology (IT) firms as Developers to identify whether the knowledge and skills acquired in school were sufficient for their career take off, revealed a wide gap between the present curriculum and the trends in the industry. The results obtained from the study showed that 62% passed through further skill acquisition training that created employment opportunities for them, 14% trained before admission for the TVET programme while 24% were able to learn on the job. The empirical analysis also showed that the position of the participants did not differ significantly in their mean perception of TVET programs as evidenced by the F statistic of 1.690 with an associated P-value of 0.195 > 0.05 significance level.

Keywords: Curriculum Development, Education, Industry, Skill, Technology, Vocational

Effect of Public-Private Partnerships on Revamping Technical Vocational Education and Training in Kenya: A Case of Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) Partnership (Published)

Lack of financial and managerial capacity impedes many governments’ ability to meet obligations in regard to the national educational systems. In order to make meaningful improvements in education, governments may have to consider alternative methods such as public – private partnerships so as to meet their commitments to education. Establishing PPP with the private sector especially corporations who possess valuable financial and material resources and expertise can assist governments to expand and improve the quality of education services leading to achievement of education for all (EFA) goals. This paper aims at establishing the effect of Public-Private Partnerships on revamping Technical Vocational Education and Training in Kenya focusing on a case of KAM and GIZ Partnership. The study sought to establish how employment opportunities through KAM and GIZ Partnerships have revamped Technical Vocational Education and Training in Kenya and to assess the financial assistance from KAM and GIZ Partnerships on revamping TVET in Kenya. The paper was centered on Classical Liberal Theory. The study targeted a population of 882 students and staff of TVETs in Nairobi County. The paper used stratified random sampling to select a sample of 268 respondents who received the questionnaires. Self-administered questionnaires and interview guides were used for collection of primary data. The questionnaires were administered using the drop and pick later method in order to allow the respondents have enough time for responding adequately to the questions. SPSS Version 25.0 was used for data analysis. The paper used descriptive statistics since it enabled the researcher describe meaningfully the score or measurement distribution by using a few indices. Conceptual content analysis was used in the analysis of the qualitative data from the open-ended questions. The study concluded that Public-Private Partnerships positively and significantly revamps TVET in Kenya. The Kenya government should develop a public-private partnership policy framework especially in education to guide corporate/business organizations involvement.

 

Keywords: Education, Skills, Technical, Training, Vocational, private partnerships, public

Factors Influencing Student’s Enrolment in Vocational Technical Education Post-Graduate Programs in Rivers and Bayelsa State Tertiary Institutions (Published)

The study looked at Factors Influencing Students Enrolment in Vocational Technical Education Post-Graduate Programme in Rivers and Bayelsa State Tertiary Institutions. Two research questions and one hypothesis was used in the study. The researchers used simple survey research design. The population consists of a total of 149 students in post-graduate program in technical education in Rivers and Bayelsa State tertiary institutions. The researchers developed an instrument titled students response on financial constraints and perception of vocational technical education (SRFPT). SRFPT item was subjected to face validation by two experts in the department of vocational technical education in Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka. The instrument reliability was calculated to be 0.87 using Cronbach Alpha. Data obtained from research questions were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for research questions and Z-test for hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Response from table 1 showed that item 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were all accepted to the various questions. This shows that finance is a major factor influencing the enrolment of students in vocational technical education program. Result from table 2 reveals that item 1, 3 and 4 were rejected to the various questions. While item 2 and 5 were accepted. This shows that technical education teachers do not have low prospect, jobs are not limited to classroom only and they earn better. Also, it was observed that vocational technical education lecturers are leaving below standard as compared to their job input. In addition, the findings from the hypothesis showed that z-calculated value of 10.10 was higher than z-critical value of 1.960 at 0.05 level of significance with 149 degree of freedom. This implies that there is significant difference on how finance affects students’ enrolment in post-graduate programme in Rivers and Bayelsa State tertiary institutions and how students value vocational technical training program in labour market. Among all, it was recommended that Government should create a financial scheme to subsidize tuition fee and research programs among post-graduate students in vocational technical education program.

Keywords: Education, Post-graduate, Technical, Vocational, programs

Enhancing Entrepreneurial Education Skills in Electrical Installation for Sustainable Economic Development (Published)

The Paper discussed the enhancement of entrepreneurial education skills in Electrical installation for sustainable economic development. School leavers from various institutions face skill opportunities of securing employment including those that studied electrical installation maintenance work. Entrepreneurial education was discussed as a suiting solution that would enable the graduates learn skills that would make them survive by establishing electrical installation related enterprises for sustainable economic development. Some factors that would promote entrepreneurship education include adequate provision of fund to establish entrepreneurial education system, revitalization of electricity supplies and expansion of educational facilities for entrepreneurial development. Entrepreneurial competences identified for sustainable economic development among Electrical Installation graduates include managerial, accounting, marketing and competitive skills. The paper also identified concrete reasons for entrepreneurial education to include provision of necessary skills, ability of students to transit from school to work among others. When entrepreneurial education is enhanced, sustainable economic development will be realized.

 

Keywords: Economic Development, Education, Electrical Installation, Skills, entrepreneurial education

The Importance of Vocational and Technical Education in Nigeria’s Development (Published)

There can be no sustainable national development without vocational and technical education, and there can be no vocational and technical education without skills acquisition. The issue of sustainable national development is not a one-day event, but constant or continuous process that affects the citizens positively. The paper x-rayed the peculiar characteristics of vocational and technical education in providing necessary skills to the populace for sustainable national development. The conceptual clarification of vocational education, technical education, vocational and technical education, and sustainable national development were considered. The paper further discussed a brief history of vocational and technical education in Nigeria, during the pre-colonial, colonial and the post-colonial era. The paper examines the importance of vocational and technical education in Nigeria development. It further highlighted the role of vocational and technical education in sustainable national development. The paper concluded that non-acquisition of saleable skills has been a major factor in the countries under development and high rates of poverty and other social vices. Therefore, VTE as the type of education with these values should be recognized and taken serious for sustainable national development to strive.

 

Keywords: Development, Education, Nigeria, Technical, Vocational

The Gap between Employers and Unemployed, Challenges for Employability in Guanacaste Province of Costa Rica (Published)

The purpose of this research is to analyze the challenges for employability in Guanacaste through the discussion of variables that influence job offers and the conditions of job seekers, with a focus on the relevance of employment for economic development of the country and the relationship of higher education with obtaining employment. The methodology includes a descriptive research, with a quantitative approach, which studies guanacastecans in unemployment, applying a survey to a sample of 76 university students. The results show that people feel prepared and with the necessary competences for employment, but perceive little support from local governments, institutions and even the universities to open employment opportunities. The experience barrier is relevant, looked by employers; among the competences that increase the possibilities of employment are the soft skills, English language management, as well as the updating in technological tools. Considering conclusions, communication between universities, local governments and other institutions should improve with business sectors, to generate a clear picture and increase employment options. Together with efforts such as more job fairs and intermediation offices, the unemployed will have a link to find employment and employers can have a clear profile of the people who seek a job. In short, the challenges are diverse and requires efforts from various parties, from the unemployed who must develop adequate skills, to employers who value human talent in Guanacaste.

Keywords: Economic Development, Education, Employability, Skills, Unemployment