CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The source of quality in education would include well maintained buildings with all required gadgets being conducive to learning outstanding lecturers, high moral values, excellent examination results, specialization, the support of parents, business, local community and non-governmental organization, the support, adequate facilities, the application of the latesttechnology, strong and purposeful leadership, care and concern for pupils or students a balanced curriculum that is the curriculum that matches the employers demand in the labour market (Adeyanju and Olaniyi, 2015).
The quality of graduates in Akwa Ibom State is on rapid decline especially in the area of valuable skills including; communication, technical abilities, human interaction, social, conceptual and analytical capacity (Anho, 2011).
Anho (2011) noted further that the National University Commission (NUC) in 2020 organized a curriculum review debate in collaboration with other stakeholders in the education and observed graduates who left schools between 1995 and 2000; they found out that standard hade actually declined in those critical skills. Consequently, the NUC in its statutory responsibility embarked on conducting comprehensive curriculum review exercise to address current and future high level manpower needs, so that the products from the system can actually complete well with their counterparts around the globe. The mechanism for improving and sustaining quality and high standard in the universities has been set by the Federal Government of Nigeria. However, the actual implementation is yet to yield any meaningful results as quality of university graduates whether from the field of Business Education or other discipline has continue to generate intensives debates and worries.
In today’s competitive and challenging world with diverse demands, many countries are facing serious problems of graduate employability (Adesina, 2013). As a result, the higher education sectors are under immense pressure from governments, employers and parents to produce quality graduates that be economically engaged at the individual, national and global level (Teichler, 2007). Such graduates should posses a combination of attributes that will enable them to take an adaptive and proactive approach to their careers (Bezuidenout, 2011).
Eurosat (2013) noted that employability is about having the capability to gain initial employment, maintain employment and obtain new employment if required. This is therefore a key challenge to tertiary institutions in Nigeria, which produces over 300, 000 graduates annually; a number that should ordinarily meet the countries’ human capital resources needs (Oyesiku, 2010). But employers willing to pay well to attract skilled workers are increasingly findingit difficult to fill job vacancies. Akanmu (2011) opines that product of the Nigerian university system have a different forum been challenged to test their suitability or otherwise to secure few available while collar job. He went further to say that the situation is not only sympathetic but embarrassing that the vast human material resources available to the country had not been trained and utilized to the advantage of the country. Thus the undertaking of this study will beam a sear height on the employability of Business Education graduates in Akwa Ibom State.
1.2 Statementof Problem
Employers of labour in Nigeria often complain that graduates are poorly prepared for work. They believe that academic standards have fallen considerably over the past decade and that a university degree is no longer a guarantee of Business Education skills or technical competence. As a result, university graduates are commonly viewed as “half baked”
One of the most aching challenges confronting Nigeria today is the issue of unemployment. It has become as severe that policy-makers, parents and youths, especially graduates being churned out annually by tertiary institutions made up of universities, polytechnics, Monotechnics and Colleges of Education (Educcational and Employability survey 2014).
More worrisome is the problem of graduate’s employability which has rendered many Nigeria graduate unemployable. This is because while it is one thing for tertiary institutions to produce graduates, it is another for thed produce graduates, it is another for the products of these schools to meet up with employer’s requirements, skills or competences for employment. Employers’ of labour often complain that some of these graduates thought professionally or technically quality are unemployable in that they lack the requisite, essential skills or competences needed in the job or for sustainable employment. These skills create a gap in their knowledge (Sodipo, 2014). Stories and jokes abound in Nigeria regarding the supposed short comings of university graduates yet empirical information and reports are rare what is the real situation? Is graduate employability a serious problem? How do employers asses the qualification of current degree holders? How well do graduates perform when they are able to obtain employment? This study will fill in the gap by critically assessing the employability of Business Education graduates in Akwa Ibom State.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to;
i Determine the relationship between Accounting skills and Employability of Business Education graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
ii Determine the relationship between management skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
iii. Determine the relationship between management skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
iv. Determine the relationship between marketing skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
v. Determine the relationship between Entrepreneurial skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
1.4 Significance if the Study
Previous researchers have been very diver gent in their views about the relationship between employability and Business Education graduates in Akwa Ibom State Universities. This study will therefore be of great significance as it will add to the already existing literate.
The outcomes of the research study will serve as feedback to the education sector especially in Business Education. The study will influence Business Educators to the training of other people in the society in future.
The outcomes of the study will also be useful to Business Education students when doing a likely research. The study would be significant to Business Educators at large as they would make use of the finings and recommendations of this study.
1.5 Research Questions
This study will be guided by the following research questions
i. What is the relationship between Accounting skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
ii. What is the relationship between management skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State
iii. What is the relationship between marketing skills and employability of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
iv. What is relationship between Entrepreneural skills and employability of Business Education in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
1.6 Research Hypotheses
i. there is no significant relationship between Accounting skills and employability of Business Education of its graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
ii. There is no significant relationship between management skills and employability of Business Education graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
iii. There is no significant relationship between marketing skills and employability of Business Education graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
iv. There is no significant relationship between Entrepreneurial skills and employability of Business Education graduates in the labour market of Akwa Ibom State.
Unemployment: Unemployment levels are emphasized in this stream of research and usually explained by factors such as cyclical and structural characteristics and frequently also according to institutional characteristics of the education system.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The study indicates that it is important to look at a wide range of interaction activities and look at the benefits from these activities both in terms of effects on the quality of the learning experience, as well as benefits realized on the transition to work, the data on learning benefits of interaction with wo during higher education are, however limited and further studies are needed on this issue in particular.
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