Curriculum Content, Ownership Of Universities, Work Experience And Acquisition Of Employability Skills Among Business Education Graduates Of Universities In Cross River State, Nigeria

Abstract

This paper x-rayed curriculum content, ownership of universities, work experience and acquisition of employability skills among business education graduates of universities in Cross River State, Nigeria. Two formulated research hypotheses guided this study. Literature was reviewed in line with the variables under study. The research design adopted was survey. The population for the study was 987 business education graduates between 2007/2008 and 2014/2015 academic sessions from the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH). The sample of the study was 200 business education graduates drawn purposively using accidental and snowballing sampling techniques. A validated researcher- made four point scale questionnaire titled ‘Curriculum Content, ownership of universities, work experience and Acquisition of Employability Skills Questionnaire (CCOUWEESQ) was used for data collection. The instrument was validated by four research experts. A reliability estimate of .70 to .82 was achieved for the instrument using Cronbach Alpha reliability coefficient after a pilot test. The data obtained from the field was converted into values and analyzed using independent t-test statistical technique. All hypotheses were tested at .05 level of significance. Findings revealed among others that graduates of federal university exposed to business education curriculum content are significantly different from their state university counterparts in their acquisition of employability skills. Based on this, it was recommended that government should accord equal recognition, support and provision (in terms of funding, capacity building and infrastructural spread) to both federal and state universities in a way that obvious preference for one category over the other is not perceived. Doing so may erode the dichotomized feelings of being either in a federal or state university from the minds of the students, and rather fix their focus on quality learning that results in the acquisition of employability skills.