FACTORS INHIBITING VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION IN REDUCING YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Worried by the fact that many graduates of technical colleges, 
polytechnic, colleges of Education (Technical) and Universities of 
Technology as well as department of vocational and technical 
education are without employment, the researcher decided to 
investigate the factors inhibiting vocational and technical 
education in reducing youth unemployment in Benue State, 
Nigeria. The study adopted survey research design. The population of the study was 486 technical teachers across Benue State. A sample of 100 teachers from technical colleges was randomly selected from ten colleges. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire tagged: Factors Inhibiting Vocational and Technical Education in Reducing Unemployment Questionnaire (FIVTERUQ). The data collected were analysed using mean and standard deviation for answering the research questions. The 
study revealed that respondents identified factors inhibiting vocational and technical education in reducing unemployment among youth in Benue State which include; inadequate vocational and technical education equipment, inadequate vocational and technical teachers, inadequate funding and students' negative attitude towards vocational and technical education among others. The study identified that provision of the necessary vocational and technology laboratories and equipment, employment of more qualified teachers, increase budget allocation to education sector and in-service training of teachers to keep abreast with modern technologies are measures to enhance vocational and technical 
education in reducing unemployment among youth in Benue State. It was recommended among others that government should increase the fund allocated to the education sector up to 26% of the annual budget and more qualified vocational and technical teachers should be employed and those in service should be trained to keep abreast with modern technologies.