EXPLORING SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC ROLES, PARENTAL ROLES AND CAREER PERCEPTIONS ON TVET ENROLLMENT AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study assessed the roles of socio-demography, parents and secondary school students’ career perceptions on technical and vocational education training enrollment in Enugu State. It used descriptive survey research design to determine the perceptions of respondents relating to enrollment into TVET programs. Four research questions guided the study while the population for the study was made up of 600 Senior Secondary School Three (SS3) students purposively sampled from across the six educational zones of the State. The questionnaires whose items were face-validated by experts were used to elicit the opinions of the respondents based on a 4-point Likert rating scale. Data collected were analyzed using frequency, mean, percentage and standard deviation.  Highest mean age of the respondents was 16years (33% males),(32.67% females), religious affiliation were 95.33% male  Christian sand 96.33% female Christians while 57 % of the males and 59.67% of the females attended private schools. 43% of the males and 49.67% of the females were not exposed to vocational skills.  Out of the 14 questionnaire items related to students’ perceptions about career choices in TVET programs, 7 were agreed to and 7 were disagreed to by the respondents while all the items related to parental roles and factors that can increase enrollment into TVET were all agreed to by the respondents. The study recommended policies mandating parents and teachers’ stimulation of students’ interest in TVET, provision of scholarship to TVET students, employment and grants to TVET graduates of Tertiary Educational Institution and that of TVET centers for employment creation.