The Nexus between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Youth Empowerment in Nigeria
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The aim of the paper was to investigate the link between Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and youth empowerment in Nigeria. The paper was quantitative in nature and deployed a survey research design for data collection. The population of the study was made up of self-employed youths in the informal sector in Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area of Lagos State. Data were collected with the aid of a structured questionnaire from a sample size of 385 youths in the informal sector determined with Cochran’s formula at 95 percent confidence level, which achieved a response rate of 60 percent. The suggested hypotheses were tested for correlation using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). A significant positive relationship was found between technical education and financial freedom among youths. Also, a significant positive relationship was found between work-based learning (apprenticeship) and self-reliance among youths (r = .509 and r = .523, p < .001, n = 231). The study concluded that to empower Nigerian youths, TVET programmes have to be strengthened with policies that promote effective implementation by various institutions involved. Also, work-based learning (apprenticeship) provided a veritable avenue for informal sector training and served as a bridge builder for skills acquisition in the informal sector. It was therefore recommended that TVET should be given top priority in youth education to empower the youths with life skills that promote financial freedom. Also, efforts should be made to promote more participation in vocational training by the youths to promote self-reliance among the youth segment of the population.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7218256840