MEDIATING EFFECTS OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON FACTORS AFFECTING YOUTH LEADERSHIP SKILLS AMONG POLYTECHNIC STUDENTS

Positive social support, social interaction, and vocational studies are key to understanding how leadership skills develop in adolescents. With half of the global population under 30years, fostering youth leadership is crucial for societal progress. Despite its importance, various regional barriers limit young people's ability to develop leadership skills. This study examines the relationship between social interaction, vocational studies, and youth leadership skills, and explores the mediating role of social support in these relationships. Quantitative approach was employed, using questionnaires to collect data from 381 Lagos State Polytechnic students through multistage random sampling. Data were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings showed no significant relationship between social interaction and leadership skills. However, vocational studies positively influenced leadership skills. Social support also had a positive relationship with youth leadership skills and mediated the link between vocational studies and leadership. Surprisingly, social support did not mediate the relationship between social interaction and leadership skills. Findings reveal vocational studies significantly predict youth leadership skills, while social interaction does not. Additionally, social support mediates only the relationship between vocational studies and leadership skills. These findings highlight the need to integrate leadership development into school curricula, enabling students to cultivate leadership skills through structured academic programs.