Assessment Of the Informal Sector Electrical Craft Practice and Apprenticeship Training in Minna Metropolis
ABSTRACT
The study was designed to assess the informal sector electrical craft practice and apprenticeship training.
The informal electrical master craftsmen have a low educational background and have not acquired adequate theoretical knowledge to practice the Craft effectively and the governments have not given adequate attention by formulating adequate policies and regulations for craft practices and apprenticeship training.
The population of the study consisted of 54 electrical master craftsmen and 20 apprentices, given a total population of 74 craftsmen. Sampling was not necessary since the population size could be managed effectively.
Four research questions were posed and four null hypotheses were tested. A structured questionnaire was used which comprised 70 items and was face validated by three experts in Industrial Technical Education.
Cronbach Alpha co-efficient formula was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.892.
Frequency counts, percentages, and mean statistics were used to answer the four research questions; a t-test was used to test the four null hypotheses at 0.05 significant levels.
Major findings of the study include: Informal sector electrical master craftsmen have a low educational qualification at secondary school level and below.
The master craftsmen have not acquired adequate theoretical skills to practice the craft and apprentices are trained mostly in technical skills devoid of theory.
Apprentices are trained in the old traditional method, with no entry requirements, and graduation time unspecified.
Recommendations made include: Informal sector electrical craft practice and apprenticeship training should be recognized by law or an Act of National Assembly through appropriate legislation and policies formulation to regulate the crafts practices and apprenticeship training.
The master craftsmen should enroll in sandwich diploma programs to acquire theoretical knowledge to be able to practice the craft effectively in this world of sophisticated technology.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE – – – – – – – – I
APPROVAL PAGE – – – – – – – – II
CERTIFICATION – – – – – – – – III
DEDICATION – – – – – – – – IV
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS – – – – – – – V
TABLE OF CONTENTS – – – – – – – VI
LIST OF TABLES – – – – – – – – IX
LIST OF FIGURES – – – – – – – – X
ABSTRACT – – – – – – – – – XI
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study – – – – – 1
Statement of the Problem – – – – – 5
Purpose of the Study – – – – – – 7
Significance of the Study – – – – – 7
Research Questions – – – – – – 8
Hypotheses – – – – – – – – 9
Scope of the Study – – – – – – 9
Limitation – – – – – – – – 10
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Conceptual Framework – – – – – 11
Informal Sector – – – – – – – 12
Electrical Craft Practice – – – – – – 15
Apprenticeship Programme – – – – – 16
Assessment – – – – – – – – 25
Skills Acquisition in Information Electrical Crafts Practice 26
Methods of Training Informal Electrical Crafts – – 29
Facilities Planning in Informal Electrical Crafts Practice 34
Theoretical Framework – – – – – 38
Behavioural Learning Theory – – – – – 39
Cognitive Learning Theory – – – – – 41
Social Learning Theory – – – – – – 42
Humanist Learning Theory – – – – – 42
Review of Related Empirical Studies – – – 45
Summary of Literature Review – – – – 48
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY
Design of the Study – – – – – – 50
Area of the Study – – – – – – – 50
Population of the Study – – – – – 50
Instrument for Data Collection – – – – – 51
Validation of the Instrument – – – – – 52
Reliability of the Instrument – – – – – 52
Method of Data Collection – – – – – 53
Method of Data Analysis – – – – – – 53
CHAPTER IV: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA
General Information – – – – – – 55
Research Question 1 – – – – – – 56
Research Question 2 – – – – – – 58
Research Question 3 – – – – – – 60
Research Question 4 – – – – – 61
Hypothesis 1 – – – – – – – 63
Hypothesis 2 – – – – – – – 65
Hypothesis 3 – – – – – – – 67
Hypothesis 4 – – – – – – – 69
Findings of the Study – – – – – – 72
Discussion of the Study – – – – – – 75
CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Restatement of the Problem – – – – – 78
Summary of the Procedure used – – – – 79
Summary of Major Findings – – – – – 79
Conclusion – – – – – – – – 80
Implications of the Study – – – – – 81
Recommendations – – – – – – 82
Suggestions for Further Studies – – – – 84
REFERENCES – – — – – – – – 85
APPENDICES:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The term informal sector was first used by the international labour organization (ILO) World employment program in the early 1970s. Liimatainen (2002) described the informal sector as that segment of the labour market that absorbed a significant number of job seekers, mostly in self-employment and workers in very small production units.
Ake (2005) described the informal sector to consist of people in varying degrees of employment outside the official wage structure, such as roadside mechanics, tailors, hawkers, and shoe-shine boys.
Fajana (2000) also defined the informal sector as the sum total of income-generating activities outside modern contractual relationships of production.
The economic relations include subsistence production, petty commodity production, and trade by self-employed persons and small unregulated enterprises.
The informal sector is a residual labour market where labour is highly heterogeneous and sources of income are not largely wage dependent.
Working time is discretionary and employment is based on the family system. Skills acquired on the job in the informal sector are inter-generational, that is skills are passed on from one generation to another.
The activities of the informal sector are located in little shanks of wood e.g. welders, tailors, electricians, mechanics. Electrical craft is practiced in the informal sector and provides self-employment for both young and old.
REFERENCES
Adeyemi, A.B. (1999) Apprenticeship system: a panacea for sustainable technology education in Nigeria. In G. Momoh (Ed). Issues in Curriculum development and innovations for sustainable technology education in Nigeria. (NATT) 102-108). Minna: Mega Press.
Alhassan, I.D. (1999). Improving apprenticeship system to enhance technology education in Nigeria. In G. Momoh (Ed.) Issues in curriculum development and innovations for sustainable technology education in Nigeria (NATT). 157-161. Minna: Mega Press.
Ake, C. (2005). A political Economy of Africa. Ibadan: Longman Nigeria Plc.
Akpan, A.C. (2003). The Quality of Training received in electrical and electronics programme by Technical college graduates in Akwa Ibom state. Unpublished M.Ed thesis. Nsukka: University of Nigeria.
Alio, A.N. (2004). Entrepreneurial competencies required by the electronics craftsmen for effective performance. Journal of Education for Professional Growth (JEPG) 1(1). 18-23.
Alio, A.N. (2006). Strategies for enhancing the competencies of electronics craftsmen in the informal sector of the economy of Enugu state. Unpublished doctoral dissertation . University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
