1.1 Introduction
Vocational and mechanical technical education is a type of education which is designed specifically to accommodate both the trainer and the trainee to enable the trainee acquire the basic knowledge, skills, abilities, understanding and attitudes needed for one’s efficient performance in his or her chosen occupational career for self-reliance and national development (Nwogu & Nwanorou, 2011). It is the education and training that equips individuals and learners with knowledge, ideas, principles, attitudes and attributes which will enable them to discover opportunities, plan and create ventures to exploit the opportunities available for economic development. Technical education and training are the education for the acquisition and development of skills, competencies and attitudes which are necessary for capacity building.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Entrepreneurship is the process of creating something new of value by devoting the necessary time and effort, assuming the accompanying financial psychic, personal satisfaction and independence (Hisrich and Peter, 2002). Adegun and Akomolafe (2013) explained the concept of entrepreneurship development as a gradual growth of creative and economic and social venture. It involves establishing an individual to explore, opportunities successfully through making a profitable or suffering loss of invested capital. The fundamental “principle” of entrepreneurship as a field of study is that it deals with the organization of knowledge in a particular subject in such a way that it commands more of the hidden potential in the subject in the area of self-employment and job creation. It has to do with system of ideas and values that are now given attention recently as part of the tertiary institution curriculum (Mkpa, 2014).
The function of entrepreneurial development at the school or faculty level in conventional institutions is to enable its students to discover, whilst undertaking their regular course of studies, what other relevant work experiences other than those in paid employment of government and other agencies are going on in society by the appropriate entrepreneurs so as to facilitate the direct exchange of information in the interest of students.
Skill acquisition can simply be said to be the process of releasing human energy, it means providing an opportunity for people to make the maximum contribution to their own development and to the self development of their communities. Vocational and mechanical technical education is an educational training which encompasses knowledge, skills competencies, structural, activities, abilities, capabilities and all other experiences acquired through formal, on the job or off the job which are capable of enhancing recipients and creating opportunity for securing job (Okolocha, 2006). The Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004) outlined the goals of Vocational and mechanical technical education (VTE) in the National Policy on Education document as follows to provide trained manpower in the applied sciences, technology and business particularly at craft, and technical levels, provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agriculture, commerce and economic development and give training and impart the necessary skills to individuals who shall be self-reliant economically while at the post secondary (tertiary) technical institute such as Polytechnics or colleges of education (technical) and universities.
To be able to achieve this goal of vocational technical education, there must be adequate instructional facilities such as laboratories and equipment for the teachings and learning of vocational and mechanical technical education skills, knowledge and competencies at the tertiary level. Vocational and mechanical technical education include training in engineering such as Electrical, Mechanical, Welding and Fabrication, Agricultural, science laboratory, computer science, other courses include office technology, food technology hospitality, business administration, accountancy etc. These courses are taught at colleges of education, polytechnic and the universities.
Therefore, in Delta State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Improvement of Vocational Skills Acquisition for Entrepreneurship Development in Mechanical Technical Education in Universities in Nigeria in Tertiary Institutions.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that the issues and challenges related to university undergraduates’ vocational skills acquisition for entrepreneurship development and Self-employability, hence the need for this research. Nigerian tertiary institutions produce millions of graduates annually into a labour market which is already overpopulated, thereby raising the level of unemployment. It is as a result of this that the government in conjunction with its agencies tends to introduce vocational skills acquisition programmes in tertiary institutions in order to correct this anomaly and also ensure that these newly graduated students become self-reliant and prepare for them a future which will in turn devoid the economy of miscreants.
Experience over the years has revealed that more than sixty percent of these graduates end up roaming about the streets as a result of lack of job opportunities (Okanu 2015). The unemployment rate in Nigeria keeps escalating as each year comes by as a result of continuous injection of lack of quality graduates. This situation has become so pathetic because job seekers/applicants end up going back to their aged parents who have invested so much in them, with the hope that someday, they will get back the dividends of their investments but all to no avail.
This menace (unemployment) which has eaten deep into the fabric of the society must be reversed to avoid national crisis. Entrepreneurship development is just evolving in our tertiary institutions as the programme was introduced in 2006 effective from 2007/2008 academic sessions and this has made the acquisition of relevant vocational skills for employment and self employability more theoretical than practical. This calls for critical survey of vocational entrepreneurship education as the key to solving graduate unemployment (Oyebola, 2010).
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the improvement of Vocational Skills Acquisition for Entrepreneurship Development in Mechanical Technical Education in Universities in Nigeria. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To assess the relationship between vocational skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria;
- To examine the level of vocational skills acquisition among Nigerian undergraduates;
- To examine the need for entrepreneurial development in our tertiary institutions;
- To determine the importance of vocational skills acquisition to employment generation; and
- To recommend ways of improving vocational skills acquisition in Nigerian tertiary institutions.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- What is the level of vocational skills acquisition among Nigerian undergraduates?
- What is the need for entrepreneurial development in our tertiary institutions?
- What is the importance of vocational skills acquisition to employment generation?
- What is the relationship between vocational skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria?
- What are the ways of improving vocational skills acquisition in Nigerian tertiary institutions?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
Hypothesis One
- H0: There is no significant relationship between vocational skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria.
- H1: There is a significant relationship between vocational skills acquisition and entrepreneurial development in Nigeria.
1.7 Significance of Study
The study would be of immense benefit towards the development of entrepreneurship in Nigerian tertiary institutions by highlighting ways of improving vocational skills acquisition which would improve self reliance thereby improving the quality of graduates while the same time reducing the level of unemployment in Nigeria.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Improvement of Vocational Skills Acquisition for Entrepreneurship Development in Mechanical Technical Education in Universities in Nigeria.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
1.10 Definition of Terms
Entrepreneurship Education: Seeks to provide students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to encourage entrepreneurial success in a variety of settings. Variations of entrepreneurship education are offered at all levels of schooling from primary or secondary schools through graduate university programs.
Development: Hornby (2000) defines development as the gradual growth of something so that it becomes more advanced and stronger.
