Artificial Intelligence Skills and Job Readiness of Undergraduate Business Education Students in Tertiary Institutions in Bayelsa State

Abstract The study focused on artificial intelligence skills and job readiness of undergraduate business education students in tertiary institutions in Bayelsa State. Descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. The population for the study was 427 respondents which comprised 139 male and 288 female undergraduate business education students. Census sampling technique was employed because the population was manageable. The instrument for data collection was a researcher structured 15-item questionnaire titled “Artificial Intelligence Skills and Job Readiness Questionnaire (AISJRQ)”. The instrument was validated by three experts. Cronbach alpha statistic was used to determine the reliability and it an overall reliability index of .80 which indicated that the instrument was reliable and was used for this study. Mean scores and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The findings revealed among others that undergraduate business education students in Bayelsa State have a limited grasp of AI-powered business analytics skills, which are essential for job readiness in today’s digital economy. In line with the findings, the researcher recommended among others that universities should revise the business education curriculum to integrate AI-powered business analytics and data analysis courses, ensuring students acquire relevant digital skills for job readiness.