Assessment of Mechanical Skills Need of Technical College Students for Entrepreneurship Development in Rivers State

Abstract

The study assessed mechanical skills need of technical college students for entrepreneurship development in Rivers State. The study employed a descriptive research survey design. Three research questions were answered and two null hypotheses that were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The target population of the study consists of 73 respondents (45 mechanical teachers and 28 workshop instructors) from four Government Technical Colleges in Rivers State. The study adopted the entire (census) population of mechanical technology teachers and instructors in the four Government Technical Colleges in Rivers State were adopted. For data collection, a self-structured questionnaire designed in 4 point rating scale of highly needed, needed, moderately needed and not needed was used. The instrument was face and content validated. The reliability of the instrument was obtained using Cronbach alpha reliability method which yielded a reliability index of 0.87. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test statistical tool was used to test the null hypotheses posed at 0.05 level of significance. The result of the study revealed that automobile skills need of technical college students for entrepreneurship development among others include; ability to diagnose wrong parts in motor engines, aptitude in maintenance of electric or petrol engine, radiator flushing and maintenance of fuel injection system. The study also found out that machining skill need of technical college students for entrepreneurship development include; good knowledge in operation of lathe machine and ability to setup different machine tools. Finally, the study also found out that mechanical college students need ability to mill raw materials, produce open-ended slots, milling square ended and single angle shaft and ability to select appropriate cutter into milling machine for entrepreneurship development. The study thus recommended the provision of emerging mechanical equipment to enable students have hands-on experience in the operation of mechanical machines; and teaching and learning should be based on real life situation where students will be engaged in learning by doing as this method would help install the required skills for students to become self-reliant and be useful to the society.