A RESEARCH PROPOSAL

BY

PETER PROMISE NADUM

ON

IMPACT OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES ON GRADUATE TRAINEES:

A STUDY OF CENVOS, TASUED.

Abstract

When it comes to finding a job and encouraging emerging professionals to excel in their new career
path, making sure that graduates have the skills they need for the position plays an essential role.
Students who do not have the necessary skills will quickly find themselves struggling in their new
position. They may start to lose confidence and feel unsure about what to do. Vocational education and
training (VET) allows students to gain practical experience in their chosen paths before they even
graduate. Vocational studies play a critical role in skills development and employability. In realization
that white collar jobs are gradually getting out of reach of people, the Tai Solarin University of Education
established the Centre for Entrepreneurial and Vocational Studies (CENVOS) to further equip the
students against unemployment. The importance of this is that by upon graduation, the students would
have been equipped with inherent skills of entrepreneurship knowledge to meet the challenges of self-
reliance in contemporary Nigeria and the world at large.

Background of the study

Vocational education and training as defined by UNESCO, 2010, is an educational process leading to the
acquisition of practical skills, attitudes, knowledge and skills, knowledge of the occupations in various
sectors of the social economy and social life. VET as an education system enriches the management of
economic and development challenges.

Vocational training as such is the key to human development as it determines the type of development
of a country based on the quality and relevance of the offered vocational training. However, Wallenborn
(2009), argues that development in developing countries, especially in Africa, is still sluggish compared
to developed countries due to the quality of education and training offered. The question of the quality
of education and training offered also concerns VET. Therefore, the contribution of VET to development
in Africa is limited. This is due to factors related to the implementation of vocational training. Vocational
training was and is a common development strategy for many countries around the world, including
Australia, Germany, China, India, Bangladesh, Ghana, Botswana and South Africa.

Australia and Germany have used vocational training to give young people skills and knowledge to
address the problem of youth unemployment. Countries such as Taiwan, China and India have further
developed VET as a tool to promote the creation of skilled labour (UNESCO,2009). This increases
productivity and thus economic growth. However, the role of VET continues to be in the social
development. This shows that VET plays different roles in development. VET was also implemented as
an anti-poverty initiative. Among the numerous poverty alleviation initiatives, VET is a program for
developing skills for young people. Vocational training as a youth program must also take into account
the factors of youth dynamics.

Statement of the problem

Young people face greater development challenges and are more likely to become prone to poverty. In
this context, youth vulnerability includes young people aged 16 to 24 who face significant barriers to
achieving or maintaining well-being. Despite commendations and efforts in the field of vocational
studies, arguments are advanced to justify their role and their effectiveness as trainees. These
arguments are due to the fact that VET does not provide qualified professionals for the development
process in Africa (UNESCO 2006). Although VET has contributed to some extent to the training and skills
development of young people, it has not only provided skilled workers to meet the needs of the labour
market. This sis due to social and economical factors that influence the implementation of VET and
prevent the program from achieving its objectives. One of these aims is the role of VET in reducing the
vulnerability of adolescents. VET in Nigeria does not lack these arguments and doubts.

Purpose of the study

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of vocational studies on graduate trainees of CENVOS
in Tai Solarin University of Education. Specifically, this study intends to:

i. examine the effect of vocational studies on employment of graduate trainees.

ii. examine the effect of vocational studies on entrepreneurial skills of graduate trainees.

III. examine factors affecting effective implementation of vocational studies in Nigeria.

Research Questions

1. Does vocational studies have an effect on employment of graduate trainees?

2. Does vocational studies have an effect on entrepreneurial skills of graduate trainees?

Scope of the study

This study is on the investigation of the impact of vocational studies on trainees who have graduated
with a view to identifying how impactful the acquisition of vocational skills have been on their growth,
functionality, entrepreneurial relevance, using the Centre for Entrepreneurial and Vocational Studies as
a case study.

Significance of the study

This study aims to help the public take a comprehensive approach to impact of vocational studies. The
study will also be of interest to higher education institutions and individual researchers interested in
vocational studies and will use the results for further research. The research will help individuals
understand their positions relative to the vocational skills.

Research Methodology

This study will adopt a descriptive research design to describe systematically the impact of vocational
studies on graduate trainees in CENVOS, TASUED. The sample for this study will consist of two hundred
(200) graduate students, comprising both male and female. The sampling technique to be used will be
simple random sampling technique which will be used to randomly select the students in the College of
Specialized and Professional Education, Vocational and Technical Education, Humanities, Social Sciences
and Management Studies, Science and Information Technology in the Tai Solarin University of
Education, Ijagun. 40 students will be randomly selected from each of the colleges. The instrument to be
used for data collection in this study will be a structured questionnaire.