Cross-job transferability skills required by Technical and Vocational Education graduates for curbing unemployment in Niger State.

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the cross job transferability skills required by Technical and Vocational Education graduates for curbing unemployment in Niger state. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A total of 50 respondents comprising often (10) Technical and Vocational Education lecturers in Federal University of Technology, Minna, twenty (20) Technical and Vocational Education graduates already working in Niger state and twenty (20) employers of labour. Two research questions guided the study. The instrument for data collection was a five point scale questionnaire titled: Cross Job Transferability Skills Questionnaire (CJTSQ). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Findings revealed that: Appropriate expression of feelings, understanding and respect of the feelings of others; working effectively and productively with others; and defining and accepting individual and group roles and responsibilities are among the required transferable skills needed for cross job mobility of Technical and Vocational Education graduates. It was also discovered that redesigning programmes to include content that are vocationally oriented; and allowing students to discover and develop skills by themselves are techniques for improving the acquisition of cross job transferability skills of technical and vocational education graduates. It was therefore recommended that greater recognition and promotion of transferable skills to enhance flexibility in cross-occupational mobility should be encouraged in Technical and Vocational Education. Also, teachers and employment facilitators should help Technical and Vocational Education graduates recognise and understand their transferable skills.