STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING TVET-INDUSTRIAL LINKAGE FOR SKILL TRAINING AND SUSTAINABLE NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The paper investigated TVET-Industry linkage for skill acquisition and sustainable national development. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. Three research questions guided the paper. The study was conducted in Enugu State, Nigeria and the population for the study was 139 made up of 53 Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) administrators and experts, and 86 industrial administrators and experts, all from Enugu State. The instrument for data collection was researchers’ developed questionnaire based on five Point likert scale. The instrument was face-validated by five experts. Reliability test was determined using Cronbach Alpha which yielded a co-efficient of 0.83. The instruments were administered to the respondents and the data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings of the study revealed the impacts of TVET-Industrial linkage to include: exchange of knowledge and technical know, improve the quality of TVET curriculum and programmes, provision of infrastructures and facilitates, provides skilled personnel for industries among others. The study further revealed the benefits of TVET-industrial collaboration to include: improves efficiency in TVET operations, provides apprenticeship training to TVET institutions, equip TVET students with employability skills, saves the cost of organizing retraining and training workshops for industrial workers among others. In addition, the findings from the study identified the strategies for enhancing TVET-industrial collaboration include among others: building good relationship between TVET teachers and industries, consultation of industries by TVET institutions during curriculum development and reform, good communication network, and building of trust. The study concluded that collaboration between TVET institutions and industries remains a viable tool for enhancing skill training of TVET students, addressing the problem of skill mismatch and providing skilled manpower needed by industries. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that there should be collaboration between TVET institutions and industries during curriculum development and reform to carter for the skills need of the industries, government should improve funding of TVET institutions, and there should be provision of adequate infrastructure and facilities for TVET programmes.