Global Journal of Human Social Science, G: Linguistics and Education, Volume 21 Issue 14

Vocational and Technology Education: A Tool to Industrialization in Bayelsa State, Nigeria Ehimen, Theophilus Ehijele α & Opia, Bubaraye σ Abstract - The study examined Vocational and Technology Education, a tool to industrialization in Bayelsa state, Nigeria. The desig n for the study was compara tive survey research design. The population of the study was 98 university graduates of vocational and technology education working in Yena goa Metropolis, Bayelsa Sta te. The population consists 50 males and 48 females respectively. The instrument for data collection was a questionnaire. The instrument was titled “Vocational and Technology Education Industrialization Questionnaire” (VTEIQ). The instrument have three (3) research questions with twelve (12) statement items. instrument was validated by three experts on face, content and construct respectively. The reliability coefficient was carried out using test-retest method which yielded 0.83. Mean with standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. The hypotheses was tested using Z-test analysis at 0.05 level of significance. From the findings, it was revealed that male and female ratings of university graduates of vocational and technology education with respect to job creation, poverty alleviation and self reliance for industrialization in Bayelsa State, Nigeria have a high extent as a tool for industrialization and it also revealed that there is no significant difference between male and female university graduates of vocational and technology education with respect to job creation, poverty alleviation and self reliance. However, it was recommended among others that Bayelsa State government should invest in vocational and technology education in order to equip youths with the necessary skills for industrialization. Keywords: vocational education, technology education, tool and industrialization. I. I ntroduction he development of a state depends on the attention given to the kind of education its citizens acquire. The state grows when education becomes a top priority among other needs, change becomes inevitable. Education is the renewing of the mind of an individual to effect change in the environment. The process of preparing an individual for work oriented change in the environment is known as Vocational Education. Elizabeth (2007), opines Vocational Education as skills and education that prepares a person for a job. It is an education aimed at preparing students for their present /future employment, which may take place in colleges of further education, universities or workplace itself and is increasingly being offers to secondary school pupils in the form of work experience (Mairi and George, 1999). However, Bot (2021) sees vocational education as that education that prepares people to work as a technician or to take up employment in a skilled craft or trade as a tradesperson or artisan. It further stated that it is that education training that provides the necessary knowledge and skills for employment. When a student graduates from vocational schools, the graduate is fully equipped with the necessary skills to face the world of work to earn a living and become a useful being to the society. Vocational education prepares individual for usefulness and not liabilities. Vocational education is a fundamental element in the development equation because it allows individuals and societies to unlock their potentials, expand horizons and adopt to the changes in the dynamic world (Nsiah-gyabaah as cited in Elogbo, Eno, and Emogor, 2013). However, Akerele as cited in Elogbo, Eno and Emogor 2013) indentified vocational education as that aspect of education that exposes the learner to acquisition of demonstrable skills that could be transformed into economic benefit. Furthermore, Elogbo, et al (2013) opines Vocational Education as to acquire the particular skills, know-how and understanding necessary for employment in a particular occupation, trade or group of occupations. Vocational education helps develop the individual to understand personal skills in creating solutions to problems in the society. Hence, the individual derives pleasure from the skills acquired to create a conducive working environment, in so doing the society benefits and peace and harmony is enjoyable at all level of life. Therefore, vocational education is that aspect of the general school curriculum concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, attitudes and skills necessary for securing and advancing in a given occupation (Oranu, as cited in Asotibe and Dan-Maigona (2016, p.75). However, research has revealed that vocational education and technology education are intertwined to prepare an individual for usefulness in the society. Therefore technology education is the study and knowledge of the practical especially industrial, use of scientific discoveries (Elizabeth, 2007). However, it is the practical use of scientific knowledge in industry and everyday life (Mairi and George, 2007). Technology education is often encapsulated as learning by doing, T © 2021 Global Journals Volume XXI Issue XIV Version I 51 ( G ) Global Journal of Human Social Science - Year 2021 Author σ : Ph.D Department of Vocational and Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State. e-mail: ehimenehijele2019@gmail.com Author σ : Department of Vocational And Technology Education, Faculty of Education, Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State. e-mail: smartbinnovation@gmail.com