Abstract
This study on supervisors’ rating of Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduate workers competencies in using MS Desktop publishing in North-West Nigerian polytechnics was necessitated by persistent complaints from employers of labour that OTM graduate workers do not perform as expected in the current era of technology. One research question guided the study, and two null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using T-test. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study constituted 378 supervisors in state and federal polytechnics in North-West Nigeria. The population was used as the sample. A structured 5-point rating scale questionnaire containing 16 items were developed and validated by experts. Reliability of the instrument was established using split half method and Pearson Product Moment Co-efficient Correlation formula and obtained a reliability co-efficient value of 0.77. The data collected was analysed with mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions and determine homogeneity or otherwise of the respondents. Findings revealed that administrative supervisors in polytechnics in North-West Nigeria rated their Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduate workers as fairly possessing desktop publishing competencies. Gender and the ownership of the institutions have no influence on the respondents’ ratings. Based on the findings, it was concluded that OTM graduate workers in Polytechnics in North-West Nigeria, do not possess the relevant desktop publishing competencies. It was recommended that The OTM graduate workers should engage in in-service training programmes to improve their competencies in desktop publishing. The administrative supervisors should recommend approval of in-service training for their OTM graduate workers to enhance their computer application competencies.
Highlights
Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduates are referred to as employees who graduated from the Nigerian Polytechnics, having undergone the training of office technology and management curriculum and have satisfied the requirement of graduation at either National or Higher National Diploma level
This finding is in line with Garba (2012) who investigated and reported that OTM students in the polytechnics in North-West Nigeria were barely proficient in their self-rating in desktop publishing
Based on the findings of this study, it is concluded that OTM graduates workers in North-West Nigerian Polytechnics do not possess relevant skills in desktop publishing application
Summary
Office Technology and Management (OTM) graduates are referred to as employees who graduated from the Nigerian Polytechnics, having undergone the training of office technology and management curriculum and have satisfied the requirement of graduation at either National or Higher National Diploma level. Alfred (2014) opined that OTM graduate, even though advertisement for jobs still focused on secretaries, lack occupational nomenclature This presumes that, the essential office worker has no clear designation. Going by the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE ( 2004) curriculum and course specification, one of the objectives stated categorically is to produce graduates of ND/HND OTM who should fit properly into the modern office of any kind and perform professionally the functions of a secretary. This cleared all doubts on the designation of OTM graduates workers. In the context of this paper, office technology and management graduate worker is the one who is proficiently trained, with NBTE curriculum in the Nigerian polytechnics to acquire either National or Higher National Diploma certificate, with the aim to serve as a secretary
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
