RELEVANCE OF TVET-INDUSTRY PARTNERSHIP IN SKILL ACQUISITION OF TECHNICALCOLLEGES STUDENTS FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)  has been censured as an ivory tower that chunks out graduates who do not have the relevant skills and knowledge that the industry needs. Based on these inadequacies, this study was designed to determine how TVET and industry can partner to aid skill acquisition. The study was a survey research design and was carried out at the Lagos state own technical colleges. Three research questions and two hypotheses were developed and tested at 0.05 level of significance with the use of t-test. 40 questionnaire items was used for the study while 3 experts were engaged to face-validate the instrument. The population for the study comprised of 30 teachers from the Lagos state own technical colleges and 20 staffs of Unilever from the Engineering department, bringing the total population to 50 respondents. Cronbach Alpha method was used to determine the reliability of the instrument at 0.89.The paper identified ways, benefits and factors responsible for strengthening partnership between TVET and Industry in skill acquisition of technical college students for National Development. The finding of the study showed that there was no significant difference in the mean responses of technical college teachers and industry workers on the ways technical colleges can partner with the industry in skill acquisition.  The study recommended that the National Board for technical education should in collaboration with experts from industry review their curriculum in line with the current skills emerging from industries.