IMPACT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM ON ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS OF COLLEGES OF EDUCATION GRADUATES IN NORTH-CENTRAL ZONE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Abstract The study was conducted to establish the Impact of Technical education Curriculum on Entrepreneurial Skills of Colleges of Education Graduates in Northcentral Zone of Nigeria. The study was necessitated by the continuous decline of Colleges of Education Technical Education graduates’ entrepreneurial skills which has resulted into escalating unemployment, social vices and economic hardship amongst others. The study had two objectives. Two research questions were generated to guide the study and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. Survey research design was used in the study. The population of the study was one hundred and forty four (144), made up of sixty (60) Technical Education graduates (entrepreneurs) and eighty four (84) of their employees. The entire population was used in the study. Two sets of questionnaire were developed and used for data collection. The administration of the instrument took four weeks. One hundred and four (104) copies of the questionnaire were completed and returned. In answering the research questions, weighted mean of 2.5 and above was used as benchmark for agree while weighted mean of less than 2.5 represented disagree. Regression Analysis was used to test hypotheses 1 and 2, all at 0.05 level of significance. Null hypothesis one was rejected while Null hypotheses two, was retained. The study revealed among others that technical education curriculum has no significant impact on management skills of Colleges of Education graduates. Also, it was revealed that technical education curriculum has no significant impact on innovative skills of Colleges of Education graduates. Therefore, the researcher concluded that technical education curriculum has little impact on entrepreneurial skills of Colleges of Education graduates in Northcentral Zone of Nigeria. This action can result to lack of entrepreneurial skills by graduates of colleges of education to undertake a viable business venture for self reliance which might result to increase in the level of unemployment, economic hardship and social vices amongst Technical Education graduates. In view of these findings, two recommendations were made among others that Technical Education curriculum should be strengthened by National Commission for Colleges of Education Technical Education curriculum planners to broaden its financial management skill components. Equally, technical education curriculum should be reviewed by NCCE technical education curriculum planners to ensure adequate incorporation of innovative skill components. Keywords:- Technical Education, Entrepreneurial Skills, curriculum