Repositioning of Welding and Fabrication Teaching personnel's Competence in Government Interventionist programs for Vocational Skills and Economic Development of Niger Delta Region

The study tends to reposition welding and fabrication teaching personnel’s competence in government interventionist programs for better vocational skills and economic development of the Niger Delta people. To accomplish this, the study adopted descriptive survey design. One RQ and one HO were formulated. The study was carried out in the nine states that make up the Niger Delta region: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers. The population for the study was 759 respondents comprising: Heads of Training Centers (HTC), Welding Teaching Personnel (WTP), and trainees. 314 respondents were sampled through multi stage sampling techniques. The questionnaire was the data collection instrument; and was validated by three Experts. The reliability co-efficient of the instrument was ascertained to be 0.86. The administration of the instrument was done by the researcher with the help of four research assistants. The mean and standard deviation was used to answer the RQ, while Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to test the HO at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that certified international welders were used for teaching practical; and to a high extent welding teachers show good communication skills, and industrial field experience during teaching. Also, the HO was accepted indicating there is no significant difference in the mean responses of the respondents on the extent to which welding teaching personnel’s competence at the centers meet IIW requirements to drive vocational skills. Based on this, the following recommendations amongst others were proffered; welding teaching personnel that possess prerequisite requirements should be sponsored by government interventionist agency (NDDC) to further enhance new knowledge; workshops and seminars on how to run the program to suit IIW standards for vocational skill and economic development of the Niger Delta region should be jointly organized by the stakeholders.