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STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH SKILL ACQUISITION IN NIGERIA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

There is no issue that should be addressed as a matter of urgent national importance than that of skills acquisition by the youth, considering the failure of our basic education to yield the expected positive result with its attendant consequences such as armed robbering, kidnapping, and host of others. This paper discuses the importance of skill acquisition in national development and suggests ways it can be encourage in the country. According to Encerta Dictionary (2009), a skill is seen as ability to do something well, usually gained through training or experience. Skill acquisition and generation of employment have remained a constant factor in Nigeria Government policy. The National Youth Employment and skills acquisition programme was initiated by the Government to promote self employment and self reliance in the generation of gainful self employment. The following study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the programme. The type of skill that can be acquired by the youth include

A. Vocational carpentry, hair dressing, fashion designing, tailoring etc

B. Mechanic, electrical, repair of GSM handset, wrist watches, air conditioners etc.

C. Entrepreneurial (small scale business such as operation of kiosk, buying and selling of spare parts, restraints).

The youthful period which is a very critical one that have been noted as an essential time for training in entrepreneurship , provide  a positive distractive from the self and aggressive behaviour that are frequently associated with adolescents and growing up (woolflk 1998). In a study of American adolescents in 1998 it was reported that a good number of the youth had little information about life and life expectation. If this is true, youths in a developed nation what can be said about Nigerian youth? This critical age however is the right time to teach them the concept of entrepreneurship to help them learn wealth creation.

The lack of acquisition of vocational skills on the part of individuals has been considered the bane of the economy of African societies, particularly Nigeria. This is so because in Nigeria for instance the education operated at post independence placed emphasis on academic excellence rather than acquisition of vocational skills which prepare the individual for a more useful and fulfilling life within the society. In other word, the system focused on and emphases subject in the humanity of art at the expenses of vocational which can facilitate practical skill acquisition that is generally believed to be more relevant to the development of the nation. The system for so many years was carried on entirely like that without any conscious or deliberate effort to the cultural, social and ethical values of our society. It is now a well know fact that the system failed to achieve the desired objective that were expected from the education is considered the most effective means of bringing about total change that would ensure accelerated economic growth and national development for the country. There was a need to tailor the educational system to suit the local existential situation of Nigerians. This need culminated in the new national policy on education promulgated in 1977 and revised recently in 1998.

A fundamental change brought about by the new national policy on education was the recognition and introduction of vocational courses in the educational curriculum. The policy therefore marked a deliberate shift in emphasis from literary to science oriented education and training. The policy was considered land able because it was capable of promoting the appropriate skills at various levels of our educational system and thus promoting individual and national efficiency. It was also hope that the system would help check the high rate of unemployment and bringing about economic and social revolution in the country by producing self relent citizens if carefully pursued and implemented to the letter.

Nigerian experience fell short of what was expected, the problem then was over production of persons with litter or no relevant vocational ability. The education and training of people in the country remained lopsided. The adverse consequences was that the unemployment rate assumed as alarming proportion, in it frantic effort to seek away out of the problem, the Federal Government constituted a committee known as the  Chukwuma committee on the 26th of march 1986 to consider appropriate strategies for dealing with the mass unemployment problem in the country under the aegis of the ministry of Employment labour and productivity. Under the policy, workers with no or little specialised training are apprentice for a period of one to three years after entering the enterprise. It is on record that the programme have assisted tremendously in the country procurement of solution to unemployment problem, shortage of skilled manpower and antisocial activities

1.1   STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

More than half of the Nigerian population are under the age 30 according to 2006 census. Expectedly, today’s youth will become in a short decade tomorrows parents, youth are said to be confronted with poverty, unemployment, urbanization, lack of capacity skills needed to move the economy forward. Poverty which is a force for HIV/AIDS is very common this is because the youth faced unemployment and lack of necessary productivity skill to keep body and soul together. This reality leaves them without any meaningful means of sustainable livelihood.

1.2  AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

i.  To evaluate the problems associated with skills acquisition in Nigeria.

ii.  To identify what stratagem  that can be adopted to improve skill acquisition in male tailoring.

iii.  To suggest ways of encouraging skills acquisition in the country.

1.3   SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

This project will serve as a reference point to researchers who intend to carry out a research on this topic or any other related topics. This research work will serve as a cell for youth to rice and depend on their skills and knowledge for self reliant and employment. This research work will encourage the youth to know their God given potentials in them to be independent.

1.4  RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

Ho:  Major challenge faced by male tailors is independent of their academic qualification

H1:  The major challenge faced by male tailors is not independent of their academic qualification

Ho: Lack of apprentice among male tailors is independent of academic qualification

H1:  Lack of apprentice among male tailors is not independent of academic qualification

Ho: Numbers of apprentice is independent of academic qualification of male tailors

H1: Numbers of apprentice is not independent of academic qualification of male tailors

Ho: Major challenge faced by skill (male tailors)is independent of academic qualification

H1: Major challenge faced by skill (male tailors) is not independent of academic qualification

1.5   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. As a tailor, what major challenge does your skill face?

2. What might be the cause of tailors not getting the needed number of apprentice?

1.6  SCOPE OF STUDY

The population of the study was all male tailors in Imo state. A sample size of 200 tailors was randomly selected within owerri municipal. Structured questionnaire and interview were used to obtain data for study.