ENHANCING SCHOOL-TO-WORK TRANSITION OF TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION GRADUATES FOR INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study was designed to determine the school-to-work transition of Technology Education Graduates of tertiary institutions in Niger State. Two research questions were developed and 2 null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the probability of 0.05 level of significance. Twenty Four items structured questionnaire were developed and used for the study while 3 experts were engaged to face-validate the instrument. The instrument was pilot tested on 12 respondents who are not part of the population for the study and the reliability coefficient of the entire instrument was 0.81. A survey design was adopted and the respondents for the study were 122 made up of 68 Technology Education Lecturers and 54 industrial supervisors. The major findings of the study include among others that, involving students in workplace experience; creating informal linkages between the school and the industry; involving students in the organized on-the-job experiences and embarking of students on field trips as the school-based and work-based learning activities that will enhance school-to-work transition . It was recommended that school-based learning and work-based learning should be encouraged in the Technology Education department in tertiary institutions by involving students in workplace experience through workshop, conferences and field trip for industrial development in Niger State.