Abstract
A knowledge-based economy requires citizens to develop entrepreneurial skills as well as lifelong and sustainable workforce and self-efficacy due to the glaring and rising rates of unemployment, as well as the high incidence of school dropouts and social vices visible in the Nigeria society today. This study therefore examined the entrepreneurial skills and life-long learning for sustainable workforce and self-efficacy among VTE students in Colleges of Education in Plateau State Nigeria. Two objectives two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The population of the study is 1,175 students, a sample of 117 VTE students in Colleges of Education in Plateau States was used for the research. A structured questionnaire with a four-point rating scale was used for collection data. A coefficient of .88 Cronbach alpha as obtained for the instrument. The data collected were analyzed using the mean and Standard Deviation while the null hypotheses were tested using the t-test statistic. The study revealed that Vocational and Technical Education does not have the capacity of developing entrepreneurial skills and lifelong learning for sustainable workforce and self-efficacy in a knowledge-based economy among students. There was no significant difference between the mean score of male and female students of VTE regarding the development of entrepreneurial skills and lifelong learning for sustainable workforce and self-efficacy. It was concluded that if VTE policy is implemented as expected, it will aid in the growth of students' self-efficacy, lifelong learning, and entrepreneurial abilities for a sustainable workforce. It was recommended among others that stakeholders in VTE should make conscious effort to maintain a balance between theory and practice as this can help VTE students gain entrepreneurial abilities, and right instructional facilities and equipment should be acquired, alongside sufficient supply of both high-quality and cost-effective human resources in colleges of education were proffered.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Skill, Lifelong-learning, Sustainable workforce, Self-efficacy, Knowledge-based economy.
Publication Date: 2024-07-03