Up-skilling Metalwork Technology in TVET Institutions in Rivers State for Relevance in the 21st Century Work Place

The study examined the up-skilling needs of metalwork technology in TVET institutions in Rivers state for relevance in 21st century workplace. The study adopted the descriptive survey design. The population of the study was 174 respondents which comprised 67 lecturers and 107 instructors in metalwork/mechanical department. No sampling was done as the population was manageable. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated. A survey questionnaire was developed to elicit responses from the respondents. The instrument was structured on 4-point rating scale, which was validated by two experts. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach Alpha Reliability Coefficient which yielded a reliability index of .84. Descriptive mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions and to determine the disparity in the responses of the respondent. While t-test was used to test the stated null hypotheses at .05 significance level. The study found that general skills in metalwork technology to be up-skilled include problem solving, ICT applications, creativity, and effective communication skills. Also the study found that machining operation skills that needed to be up-skilled includes turning skills, thread cutting skills, filing skills, grooving skills drilling, forging, welding, and fabrication. It was recommended among others that from time to time, there should be on-the-job- training for all technologists on the improvement of their practical skills, level of ICT application skill, leadership skills effective communication skills, creativity skills for effective workplace relevance in the 21st century in higher institutions in Rivers State.