ENHANCING SCHOOL-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION FOR BRIDGING EMPLOYABILITY SKILL GAPS AMONG TVET STUDENTS IN IMO STATE

This study focused on enhancing school-industry collaboration for bridging employability skill gaps among TVET students in Imo State. The study adopted a survey research design. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study and were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised 157 respondents, consisting of TVET lecturers in public institutions offering TVET programmes and human resource development managers from 56 functional industries in Imo State (101 respondents from institutions and 56 from industries). No sampling technique was employed because the population size was manageable. A structured questionnaire containing 18 items was used as the instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by three experts, while the reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient method, which yielded a reliability index of 0.76. Out of the 157 copies of questionnaire distributed, 139 copies were successfully retrieved, representing an 88.54% return rate. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the research questions, while t-test statistics were used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance using SPSS. The findings of the study revealed that aligning skill training programmes with institutional academic calendars, granting students regular industrial visits, involving industry personnel in special lectures and seminars, reducing the gap between theoretical and practical learning, and strengthening collaboration between schools and industries through periodic meetings on technological innovations were effective strategies for enhancing school-industry collaboration in bridging employability skill gaps among TVET students in Imo State. Based on the findings, the study recommended that industries should recognize the importance of active collaboration with institutions through SIWES and industrial exposure programmes to improve students’ employability skills, while institutions should maintain effective communication and sustained partnerships with industries to ensure relevant skill acquisition among TVET students.