REVITALIZING TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR JOB CREATION AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT THROUGH AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMES IN TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

The study was designed to examine how Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) could be revitalized for job creation and national development through Agricultural Education programme in Tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Three research questions and two null hypothesis tested at 0.05level of significance guided the study. A total of 124 respondents consisting 19 lecturers and 105 students were studied. Questionnaire consisting of 50 items was used to elicit information from the respondents. The questionnaire was validated by three experts from the department of Agricultural and bio resources Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Cronbach alpha was used to determine the reliability of the instrument which yielded 0.76 coefficients. The data collected were analysed using mean while t-test statistic was used to test null hypotheses. The paper identified thirty skills that should be acquired through agricultural education programmes in tertiary institutions. Factors inhibiting development of skills were also identified and measures for revitalizing TVET for job creation and national development were also stated. Recommendations were made on the basis of the findings.