STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCEMENT OF SKILL ACQUISITION FOR SELF EMPLOYMENT AMONG STUDENTS OF ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE WORKS TRADE IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN YOBE STATE

This study sought to determine the Strategies for Enhancement of Skill Acquisition for Self-Employment among Students of Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works Trade in Technical Colleges in Yobe State, Nigeria. Three research questions were asked. The study which was conducted in Northeast Nigeria adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 176 people consisting of 29 Electrical Installation and Maintenance Works Trade teachers, 16 workshop attendants, and 131 industry supervisors in Yobe State. The sample size for the study was 176. The whole population sampling technique was employed. The instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled: “Skill Acquisition for self-employment and Job-creation Enhancement Questionnaire (SASJEQ). Cronbach Alpha was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument. The instrument yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.85 which is considered reliable. The findings further revealed that the key challenges that prevent students from acquiring skills that could help students to be self-employed and create job for others include inadequacy of curriculum, lack of hands-on training opportunities, lack of modern equipment, poor emphasis on safety protocols, inadequate duration of training program among other identified problems. These recommendations were made: The teaching strategies that should be used in Technical Colleges in Yobe State, Nigeria include hands-on practical demonstration, Regular workshop practical sessions, use of real-life scenario in teaching, interactive session, peer learning activities, incorporating multimedia resources, feedback from instructors’ practical tasks, opportunity for hands.