Potentials Possessed by Mechanical Technology Education Final Year Undergraduate Students of Universities for Self-Employment

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the potentials possessed by mechanical technology education final year undergraduate students of Universities in Enugu State of Nigeria for self-employment in terms of theory, practice and entrepreneurship potentials. The population for the study was 103 people made up of 90 undergraduate students and 13 lectures. The instrument for data collection was structured questionnaire. The return rate of the instrument was 98%. Three experts validated the instruments. A pilot study of five lecturers and 15 undergraduate students were conducted. Cronbach Alpha technique was used to test for the reliability. The total reliability coefficient of .77 was obtained for the instrument. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-test was employed to test the null hypotheses at .05 level of significance. The major findings were:(1) that mechanical technology education final year undergraduate students were competent in theoretical knowledge, practical, and entrepreneurship skills but they are incompetent  to secure good infrastructures  for self-employment.(2)there was no significant difference between the mean responses of final year undergraduate students of mechanical technology education of Universities and their lecturers on the theoretical knowledge, practical and entrepreneurship skills they  possessed for self- employment. It was recommended that Universities should be well equipped with competent mechanical technology education lecturers, technologist and functional workshop and equipment in other to enhance the teaching and learning of mechanical technology education and inculcate in their curriculum fund raising for self-employment.

Keywords: Self-employment, potentials, mechanical technology

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-36-08

Publication date: December 31^st 2019