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Development Of Employability Skills Framework Towards Producing Effective Automobile Technology Education Students in Colleges of Education in Nigeria
Subject area: Science,Engineering and Technology · Area of research: Technical and Vocational Education
DOI: 10.64388/IREV10I1-1719406
Abstract
This study developed an Employability Skills Framework for Automobile Technology Education graduates of Nigerian Colleges of Education. Guided by four research questions, the study adopted a descriptive survey and the Delphi technique. The population comprised automobile technology lecturers, final-year students, and automotive industry professionals in North-Central Nigeria. Using stratified random sampling, 384 respondents (96 lecturers, 192 students, and 96 industry professionals) were selected from six Colleges of Education. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a Delphi protocol. Five experts validated the instruments, and reliability coefficients of 0.89 (Cronbach's Alpha), 0.82 (Cohen's Kappa), and 0.85 (test-retest) confirmed their adequacy. Framework development followed six phases: needs assessment, component identification through a three-round Delphi process, framework construction, expert validation, pilot testing, and finalization. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed fifteen core employability skills required by Automobile Technology Education graduates (grand mean = 4.54, SD = 0.65). The developed framework comprises six domains: Technical Competence, Cognitive Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Personal Attributes, Digital Literacy, and Entrepreneurial Skills, encompassing eighteen competencies that achieved expert consensus. The framework significantly enhanced graduate employability, as the experimental group recorded a mean gain of 23.4 points compared with 6.3 points for the control group (t = 14.36, p < 0.001, d = 2.78). Ten implementation guidelines were also identified (grand mean = 4.55, SD = 0.68). The study recommends integrating the identified employability skills into NCE Automobile Technology Education programmes and adopting the framework through systematic curriculum implementation and lecturer capacity development
Keywords
Employability Skills, Framework Development, Automobile Technology Education, Technical Education, Nigeria Colleges of Education.
References
[1] Australian Department of Education. (2012). Employability Skills Framework: Stage 1 Final Report. Commonwealth of Australia.
[2] Creswell, J. W. (2024). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
[3] Dogara, M. A., Okoro, C. O., & Ibrahim, A. M. (2022). A project-based learning framework for integrating soft skills in Nigerian technical colleges. Nigerian Journal of Educational Technology and Instruction, 10(1), 41-56.
[4] Miller, E. C., & Krajcik, J. S. (2019). Promoting deep learning through project-based learning: A design framework for science education. Disciplinary and Interdisciplinary Science Education Research, 1(7), 1-11.
[5] National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE). (2020). Minimum standards for Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) - Technical education. NCCE.
[6] Okoye, K. R. E., & Raymond, E. (2021). Employability of technical education graduates in Nigeria: Issues and strategies for improvement. Nigerian Journal of Educational Research and Evaluation, 20(1), 89-102.
[7] Onuigbo, I. R., Okafor, C. A., & Nnajiofor, F. N. (2021). Employability skills required by automobile technology education graduates for effective job performance in the 21st-century workplace. Journal of Vocational and Adult Education, 18(1), 24-33.
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[9] Yakubu, M. N., & Eze, C. O. (2020). Bridging the gap between technical education and labour market demands in Nigeria. Journal of Vocational and Technical Education, 12(1), 59-71.
[10] Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is - what it is not. The Higher Education Academy.
How to cite this paper
@article{1719406,
author = {Dr Mahmud Mustapha Jebba, Dr Isah Yahaya, Saidu Abdullahi, Alhassan Mohammed, Nma Alhaji Yusuf},
title = {Development Of Employability Skills Framework Towards Producing Effective Automobile Technology Education Students in Colleges of Education in Nigeria},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {1},
pages = {196-208},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1719406.pdf},
abstract = {This study developed an Employability Skills Framework for Automobile Technology Education graduates of Nigerian Colleges of Education. Guided by four research questions, the study adopted a descriptive survey and the Delphi technique. The population comprised automobile technology lecturers, final-year students, and automotive industry professionals in North-Central Nigeria. Using stratified random sampling, 384 respondents (96 lecturers, 192 students, and 96 industry professionals) were selected from six Colleges of Education. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and a Delphi protocol. Five experts validated the instruments, and reliability coefficients of 0.89 (Cronbach's Alpha), 0.82 (Cohen's Kappa), and 0.85 (test-retest) confirmed their adequacy. Framework development followed six phases: needs assessment, component identification through a three-round Delphi process, framework construction, expert validation, pilot testing, and finalization. Data were analysed using mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed fifteen core employability skills required by Automobile Technology Education graduates (grand mean = 4.54, SD = 0.65). The developed framework comprises six domains: Technical Competence, Cognitive Skills, Interpersonal Skills, Personal Attributes, Digital Literacy, and Entrepreneurial Skills, encompassing eighteen competencies that achieved expert consensus. The framework significantly enhanced graduate employability, as the experimental group recorded a mean gain of 23.4 points compared with 6.3 points for the control group (t = 14.36, p < 0.001, d = 2.78). Ten implementation guidelines were also identified (grand mean = 4.55, SD = 0.68). The study recommends integrating the identified employability skills into NCE Automobile Technology Education programmes and adopting the framework through systematic curriculum implementation and lecturer capacity development},
keywords = {Employability Skills, Framework Development, Automobile Technology Education, Technical Education, Nigeria Colleges of Education.},
month = {July},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1719406}
}