FINANCIAL TECHNOLOGY COMPETENCIES AND DIGITAL EMPLOYABILITY READINESS AMONG BUSINESS EDUCATION STUDENTS IN RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITIES

This study examined the relationship between financial technology competencies and digital employability readiness among Business Education students in Rivers State universities. The study was guided by three research questions and three null hypotheses tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted. The population comprised 545 final-year undergraduate Business Education students, with a sample size of 382 students selected using percentage sampling and simple random sampling. Data were collected using two structured questionnaires titled Financial Technology Competencies Questionnaire (FTCQ) and Digital Employability Readiness Questionnaire (DERQ). The instruments were validated by three experts, two in Business Education and one in Measurement and Evaluation. Reliability was established through a pilot study involving 20 Business Education students, with Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients of 0.81 for the FTCQ and 0.85 for the DERQ. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation to answer the research questions and test the null hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings showed that digital financial literacy, financial technology software operation skills, and electronic payment management skills each had a positive and significant relationship with digital employability readiness. However, the relationships were generally low, with financial technology software operation skills showing the strongest association. The study concluded that financial technology competencies contribute positively to digital employability readiness, although other factors also influence students’ readiness for digital employment. It was recommended that lecturers link digital financial literacy to workplace tasks, curriculum planners update financial technology modules, and Business Education departments provide practical sessions on electronic payment management