Abstract
The study was carried out to determine the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in electrical installation and maintenance works in Enugu State. Survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was 35 respondents comprises of teachers of electrical installation and maintenance work and workshop attendants. There was no sampling because of manageable size of the population. A Structured questionnaire was used as instrument for data collection. Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and 0.82 reliability coefficient value was obtained. Four research questions and four null hypotheses were formulated for the study. Mean was used to analyze the data for answering research questions while t-test was used to test the hypotheses of no significant difference at 0.05 level of significance. The study found that 25 skills in domestic installation, 32 skills in industrial installation, 23 skills in cable jointing and 25 skills in winding of electrical machines required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in Enugu State. There was no significant difference between the mean responses of electrical installation teachers and workshop assistants on the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self-employment in domestic installation, industrial installation, cable jointing and winding of electrical machines. The study recommended that the skills identified in this study should be packaged and used to retrain the graduates of electrical installation and maintenance work at skills acquisition centres. It was also recommended that teachers of electrical installation and maintenance work in technical colleges should be retrained by government on the implementation of the skills identified for self employment in domestic, industrial, cable joint and winding of electrical machines.
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CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Vocational education is that aspect of the total education process that focuses on individual occupation. The function of vocational education is to provide knowledge, develop skills and inculcate the attitude that are necessary for entry into and progress in occupation. Vocational education is a form of education obtainable at technical colleges. It is equivalent to senior secondary education but designed to prepare individuals to acquire practical skills, basic scientific knowledge and attitude required as craftsmen and technician at sub-professional level (Okoro, 2006).
Technical colleges are regarded as principal vocational institution in Nigeria. They give full training intended to prepare students for entry into various occupations (Okoro, 2006). Technical college offer course in carpentry and joinery, cabinet making welding and fabrication, painting and decoration, electrical installation works, radio and television and electronics work. Okoro (2006) observed that the formal education and training system are not sufficiently linked with the world of work, which makes it difficult for the graduates of the system, particularly those who study electrical installation work to secure employment in areas related to their fields of study.
Electrical installation work is one of the courses offered in technical college
in Nigeria. It comprises the following: Basic, electricity, battery charging,
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domestic installation, industrial installation, cable jointing and winding of electrical machines as it was contained in the curriculum of National Board for Technical Education (NBTE, 2001). The goal of domestic installation is to provide the trainee with the knowledge and skill to enable him carryout electrical installation in a building. It comprises various kinds of electrical apparatus fixed in position ready to use, together with the necessary connecting conductors cables, fuse and control gear (Cooksley, 1996). Domestic installation also involves in electrical working diagrams, domestic surface wiring, domestic conduct wiring principles of protecting electrical devices, inspecting and testing domestic installations, electrical fittings: Such as illumination lamps used at home.
Industrial installation goals according to (NBTE, 2001), the module is intended to provide the trainee with the knowledge and skill to enable him carry out all types of industrial/factory electrical installation and maintenance such as installation of different types of ducts and trunkings applying all relevant regulations and safety precautions, principles of operation of AC and DC machines and their applications, controlling and maintaining electrical machines and equipment.
Cable jointing provides the trainee with knowledge and skills to enable him undertake with proficiency various methods of cable jointing, terminations, installation of underground cables, installation of overhead wires and cable.
Winding of Electrical Machine NBTE (2001) specify the goal of winding electrical machine as aimed at providing trainee with the knowledge and skills to
enable him wind or rewinding AC and DC rotating/static machine up to 10 KVA and select appropriate tools and equipment used for winding jobs. Winding of electrical machine involve both winding and rewinding of electrical generators and motors. Electric motors and generators are electrical machines used to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy by electro magnetic means. The construction of such machines involves set of conductors wound in stator or rotor of machine (Miller, 1987).
Technical college graduates require knowledge and skills that will enable them to be self employed or self reliant in electrical installation works. Skill is refers to an individual’s capability to control elements of behaviour, thinking and feeling within specified contexts and within particular task domains (Michael,
2004). Work skills are practical activities, which can help an individual to acquire saleable skills (Olaitan, Igbo, Ekong, Nwachukwu, Onyemachi, 1999). It entails a total array of responsibilities within an activity that an individual performs for work to have been done. Employment is the state of having or engaged in a job for some form of payment.
Self employment among the graduates may help the government to reduce societal problems such as burglaries, armed robbery, aggression, frustration, prostitutions, drug addiction and insecurity (Oyebode, 2005). The society needs competent electrical installation work graduates to maintain and repair electrical gadgets and equipment. Therefore there is need to identify skills required by
graduates of technical colleges for self employment in electrical installation work in Enugu State.
Statement of the Problem
The social and economic tensions in the Nigeria scene have led many to query the relevance of the Nigerian education system (Ndu, 2000). Education is a means of social mobility and the key basis by which employers decide who gets the opportunity to work. Education is not just an end in itself but an investment, a means to an end. Adamachi and Romaine (2000) asserted that any amount of money spent on education is a legitimate investment in the nation’s future. Education produces the attitudes, skills, knowledge and personalities upon which modern technology, industrialization, development and production depend.
Unfortunately, the social and economic changes of today have changed the job demands of making technical college graduates either unemployable or ill fitted for the demands of the jobs they get. The amount of periods allocated to practical classes in the schools time table is very small compared with the theoretical classes thereby making the technical education to be largely theoretical without the ability to equip the youths coming out of technical colleges with skills to live and fit into the world of work. The options available to technical college graduates as stated in the National Policy on Education among others are to secure employment, set up their own business invariably, becoming self employed and be able to employ others (FGN, 2004). These goals with respect to electrical installation work are yet to be achieved (Aina, 1998).
The technical college graduates seeking employment could not secure it because they needed skills for self employment. Hence, it becomes imperative to investigate the skills required by graduates of technical graduates for self employment in Enugu State.
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of this study was to determine skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in electrical installation work in Enugu State. Specifically, the study identified:
1. Skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in domestic installation.
2. Skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in industrial installation.
3. Skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in cable jointing.
4. Skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in winding of electrical machines.
Significance of the Study
This study will be of benefit to the students, parents, the society, curriculum planners, and ministries of education and researchers. The students will benefit from the study because it will enable them to know how they can use the skills they acquire in technical colleges to meet the needs of their immediate community. It will help them to know where their interest lies so as not to beat
about the bush. The students will know those technical and theoretical skills expected of them.
The society will benefit from this study when technical college graduates and adequately trained, competent and skillful, the economy will be boosted, when the graduates are self-reliant or employed, peace will reign in the society and each person will be able to contribute to the developmental activities of the society.
The policy makers and administers of vocational education will also benefit from the findings of this study in the following ways: The findings in this study will lead to recommendation that will help them to determine the facilities and the level of staffing adequate for effective training of students in Electrical Installation trades. It will minimize wastage in the system in the sense that the recommendations as a result of findings will lead to adoption of effective supervisory approaches by technical education authority to enhance qualitative training. This will facilitate the achievement of the objectives of vocational education.
Enugu State and Nigeria as a whole will benefit from the study thus: the implementation of the recommendations in this study will enhance skill acquisition in electrical installation trades by the technical college graduates through effective training approaches: The graduates will render quality services to government departments, industries and individuals. This in turn will ginger up technological development, economic growth and improved standard of living of the people.
Research Questions
The following research questions guided this study:
1. What are the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in domestic installation?
2. What are the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self- employment in industrial installation?
3. What are the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in cable joining?
4. What are the skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in winding of electrical machine
Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance.
H01: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of electrical installation teachers and workshop assistants on skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self-employment in domestic installation.
H02: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of electrical installation teachers and workshop assistants on skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in industrial installation.
H03: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of electrical installation teachers and workshop assistants on skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in cable joining.
H04: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of electrical installation teachers and workshop assistants on skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in winding of electrical machines.
Scope of the Study
The study is delimited to skills required by graduates of technical colleges for self employment in Electrical Installation work in Enugu State. The study covered skills in domestic installation, industrial installation, cable joining and winding of electrical machines. Skills in Basic Electricity and Battery charging were not covered by the study.
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
SKILLS REQUIRED BY GRADUATES OF TECHNICAL COLLEGES FOR SELF EMPLOYMENT IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE WORKS IN ENUGU STATE
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