Hindrances to Skill Acquisition in Technical College Motor Vehicle Mechanics Work Program in Niger State, Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract:This study surveyed the hindrances to skill acquisition in technical college Motor Vehicle Mechanics Work (MVMW) program in Niger State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a validated 21 item 5-point rating scale questionnaire (with a Cronbach Alpha reliability of 0.89) on a sample of 42 MVMW teachers and 355 MVMW students from all seven technical colleges situated in the state. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test statistics was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The hindrances to skill acquisition were broken into teacher related and student related factors. The study revealed among others that: the MVMW teachers lack adequate training facilities to teach required practical skills while the MVMW students are faced with acquiring obsolete skills that cannot enhance industrial development. The study recommends among others, the National Board for Technical Education and all stakeholders provide adequate practical skill acquisition facilities and periodically organize practical training in the work skills required by automobile industry to enhance industrial development in Nigeria.