Assessment of Employability Skills Possessed by the Final Year Agricultural Education Students in Tertiary Institutions in North Central Nigeria

Gwarkila Kaduna, Iliya Daniel, Harrison Gideon Maghra

Abstract


The study assessed graduates' and educators' perceptions of employability skills posed by the final year of Agricultural education students in tertiary institutions in North Central Nigeria. A survey research approach was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was used to select 232 graduates of Agriculture education and educators from the institutions offering agricultural courses in the three divisions of North Central Nigeria. The data were analysed using multiple regression. The findings revealed that Communication Skills Acquired, Problem-Solving/Critical Thinking Skills and Teamwork/Collaborative Skills Acquired were perceived by graduates as being most important to their employability skills, while Leadership Skills Acquired were perceived as least important. It was recommended among others that institutions should revisit the academic curricula of their institutions to include those skills that could enhance the marketability of agriculture graduates and their career advancement in the workforce.


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