Mechanisms for improving manpower production in occupational and technical education.

Abstract

This study was designed to identify mechanisms for improving the quantity and quality of manpower production in vocational and technical education in Kogi State. Four research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study was carried out in Kogi State of Nigeria and the areas of study specifically are technical colleges, secondary schools, polytechnics and industries. Population of the study comprised two hundred (200) technology education teachers and seventy-five industrial personnel drawn from the area of study. A 30-items questionnaire was used to collect the relevant data. The research questions and hypotheses were analyzed using mean standard deviation and t-test statistics. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The results from the data showed that technology teachers and head of technical departments and unit from the industries shared similar views with (30 or 73.4%) of the mechanisms proposed. Specifically it discovered that there is no strong tie between industries and training institutions, students industrial work experience scheme is haphazardly organized, the training facilities and entrants into the training institutions are poor and the administration of these training institutions were left in the hands of non-vocational educators. Based on the findings, it was recommended, that government should immediately conduct a national survey on manpower needs in vocational and technical education, remunerations of technical teachers should be reviewed urgently; industries should go into partnership with training institutions in drawing up a training programmes and government should liaise with industries to ensure the remittance of 5% of their annual profit the development of technical education.