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DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF PSYCHOMOTOR COMPETENCY BASED PROGRAMME FOR RETRAINING ARTISANS IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION WORKS IN SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA

1-5 Chapters
Simple Percentage
NGN 4000

Background to the Study

The 21st Century is best described as the age of science and technology, exploration, experimentation and development. This has resulted to innovations in all fields of human endeavour with its attendant socioeconomic consequences. Thus, every nation must be abreast with such innovations to be economically viable. In view of this, Dauda, Daniel, Paul and Danlami (2017) opined that Nigeria needs to grow and compete favourably with other nations in business and industry, in new methods and new techniques. This requires not only capital investment, but also a workforce that is knowledgeable and has the flexibility to acquire new skills for new jobs as the structures of the economy and occupations change. The search therefore, is for skilled workers and specialists in new and growing fields such as Technical Education. Training in vocational and technical education is primarily meant to equip the trainee with skills, knowledge and attitude to become self-reliant, enterprising and ready to create environment for self and societal empowerment. The flexibility and productivity of any workforce largely depends on the availability of skilled workers especially technicians and artisans.

An artisan is a skilled craft worker who makes or creates things by hand. Artisans are also referred to as crafts workers. Thus, artisans are said to possess psychomotor competencies or skills. Psychomotor competency is a competency that borders on manual dexterity and motor skills. Artisans in most cases have little or no theoretical knowledge of their trades. Tsoho (2013) rightly noted that in the present informal sector, electrical craft apprenticeship does not have scheme for training apprentices. Tsoho also observed that many artisans in Nigeria lack theoretical knowledge in their trade areas. This is based on the fact that many of them did not

undertake any formal training in their trade area. Very few of them that show little theoretical knowledge of their skills and trade areas passed through technical colleges.

There are many trades such as electrical/electronics, mechanic, building, fine arts among others that are prevalent in Nigeria. These trade areas give rise to various categories of artisans. Artisans are categorized based on their trade. For instance, there are electrical installation works artisans (usually called electricians), mechanical works artisans, building construction artisans among others.

Electrical installation work is a trade which consists of electrical installation work and repairs. Electrical Installation Works is also one of the trades involved in electrical craft work (Tsoho, 2013). In a more clear term, the Federal Republic of Nigeria in her National Policy on Education (2014) specified trades in electrical craft to include: electrical installation and maintenance work, radio, television and electrical works and appliance repairs. Specifically, National Board for Technical Education, NBTE (2001) listed components of Electrical Installation Works to include Domestic Installation, Industrial Installation, Cable Jointing, Winding of Electrical Machines, Battery Charging and Basic Electricity. In the non-formal sector, electrical installation works artisans usually specialize in one area of these components of Electrical Installation Works.

Training in Domestic Installation is meant to provide the trainee with the knowledge and skills for carrying out complete electrical installation in a building and its associated equipment (NBTE, 2001). Skills required for practice may include understanding of electrical drawings, knowledge of different types of domestic surface and conduit wiring, electrical devices’ protection and installation, understanding sequence for inspecting and testing domestic installation, and understanding of various types of lamps for illumination and uses. These skills may be viewed as clusters in domestic installations. Electrical installation works artisans constitute a large percentage of the workforce in the power sector.

According to Agbo (2016), the workforce in the power sector includes: engineers, technologists, technicians, artisans or craft men. Electrical Installation Work artisans (EIWAs) are also involved in both industrial and domestic installations and repairs. This reveals that EIWAs constitute a vital part of the workforce that must be given due attention if development is a matter of concern. Development thrives where there is steady power supply and this cannot be achieved without well trained workforce of all categories.

Apart from increasing the workforce base of the power sector, EIWAs help to reduce the stigma of unemployment. The goal of training in Electrical Installation Works and other trades in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is self-reliance. EIWAs trained in the informal setting contribute greatly to socioeconomic development and economic empowerment. Few decades ago, David and Paul (1996) rightly recognised that there has been a growing international interest in what is called the 'informal sector' as a viable means of employment and income generation in developing countries. In view of this, it is important to say that the training of EIWAs in the informal sector need to be given due attention in Nigeria and in the southeast in particular.

Electrical Installations Works is taught mainly in the formal setting at the technical colleges, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities while in the non-formal setting, it is taught by a master craftsman through apprenticeship system. Tsoho (2013) noted that Master Craftsmen are the brain behind the informal sector craft practice and apprenticeship training.

Apprenticeship is a system of training whereby the trainee (apprentice) learns skills of a given trade by observing the master craftsman doing the job. In the words of Stewart (2009), apprenticeship refers to a form of vocational training in the skilled trades that is primarily undertaken on-the-job under the supervision of certified master craftsman. Master craftsman is one who has acquired sufficient skills in the practice of a trade over a long period. An Electrical master craftsman is a person skilled in electrical installation works and repairs.

Apprenticeship can be formal or informal. According to the Centre for the Study of African Economics in Tsoho (2013), apprenticeship is classified into traditional, informal and modern or formal. Traditional apprenticeship refers to the well-organized transfer of skills within families. Informal apprenticeship is similar to the traditional apprenticeship apart from the fact that an apprentice can come from outside the family. The modern (formal) apprenticeship is regulated by an apprenticeship Act which stipulates the length of training period, training format and number of training hours. In Nigeria, informal apprenticeship is one of the ways by which EIWAs are trained (Uwameiye & Ede, 2002).

The informal apprenticeship system of training EIWAs has serious implication as far as Nigeria is concerned. This is based on the fact that in other developed nations, the non-formal apprenticeship is organised and guided by policies that ensure strict adherence to standards and content of training but such is not obtainable in Nigeria. According to Tsoho (2013), the present informal sector electrical craft apprenticeship is void of theoretical knowledge and scheme for training apprentices and practice. The master EIWA determines what skill is relevant and how to teach the apprentice. This means that the training is basically administered as it pleases the master craftsman. Hence there is no standard programme for training these trainees. On the other hand, there is also no policy in Nigeria that regulates the activities of the non-formal apprenticeship system such as Electrical Installation Works Apprenticeship. Alio (2006) recognised the absence of Government policies and regulations on the activities of the informal sector craft apprenticeship. Alio also observed that this adversely affects the growth and development of the craft practice and training.

Training is very crucial as far as TVET (of which Electrical Installation Works is a part) is concerned. The products of any training undoubtedly reveal the quality of the training they received. One of the theories of TVET is that the training environment of trainees should be a replica of where they will eventually work upon completion of their training (Prosser & Allen,1925). This theory cannot be ascertained regarding the training of EIWAs all over Nigeria since there is no standard programme of training and consequent policies for its regulation. The absence of this standard programme has adverse effect on the quality of EIWAs and consequently on the workforce and socioeconomic development of the nation.As a result of lack of standard training programme, Walther (2007) noted that there is no way to ascertain the minimum skills an EIWA trainee should possess. In the same vein, no one can also ascertain the quality of skills possessed by these master craftsman in the informal Electrical Installation Apprenticeship. One can only give what one has. Hence the master craftsmen can at best impart the skills they have to their trainees. This kind of system rarely incorporates innovations.

As earlier stated, science and technology is dramatically changing the operations and techniques in every area of human endeavour. This kind of electrical installation works apprenticeship system that is run according to the discretion of the master craftsman can only allow apprentices imbibe innovations to the extent the master craftsman allows. This entails that innovations will be lacking since many of the master EIWAs rarely upgrade themselves. The master craftsmen rarely upgrade their skills to the modern practice in their profession. World Bank (1995) noted that informal sector master craftsmen mostly pass on their skills and knowledge to apprentices; they rarely create new knowledge. Hence they keep passing on to their trainees skills without regard to their employability in the world of work. When there is a standard programme of training, it will be easy to review the programme in order to be abreast with technological advancement.

Over the centuries and in many countries, indigenous craft practice training such as Electrical Installation Works, have been the bed rock of modern technological development and growth, and a means of fighting unemployment. Developed countries like Germany, England, USA, Japan, and Russia developed indigenous craft practice in the informal sector through

appropriate and effective policy formulation and legislation, and developed a standard programme of training (Walther, 2007). Hence it is vital, at this stage of development in Nigeria in which unemployment is at a pitiable rise, to develop and validate a psychomotor competency-based programme for training and retraining EIWAs.