The endemic poverty, which ravages Nigeria today is known to everyone. Poverty results from lack financial purchasing powers. Purchasing power is increased with employment Employment is only made possible by acquiring relevant employable skills This can be achieved in the field of electrical installation in government technical colleges.

1. POVERTY REDUCTION THROUGH
ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION TRADE SKILLS
ACQUISITION AMONG TECHNICAL COLLEGE
STUDENTS IN NIGERIA
By
Ogwa Christopher Eze, Ph.D
And
Nnachi Chinenye Maureen, M.Ed

2.  The endemic poverty, which ravages Nigeria today is
known to everyone.
 Poverty results from lack financial purchasing powers.
 Purchasing power is increased with employment
 Employment is only made possible by acquiring relevant
employable skills
 This can be achieved in the field of electrical installation
in government technical colleges.

3.  Lack of skills acquisition in Electrical Installation Trades
among technical college students is an indicator of
educational failure
 Skill acquisition in electrical installation trades employs
measures and develops jobs in electrical installation
tailored towards making the students confident and self
reliant
 Technology education through which practical technical
skill is acquired starts from technical colleges.
 This implies that technical colleges are designed to give
full craft man training intended to prepare youths for entry
into various occupations of their interests and become
self dependent.

4.  Electrical installation trade is one of the technical
courses offered at the technical colleges in Nigeria
 technical college students do not have the knowledge
and skills that will enable them to take up the available
jobs in electrical installation trades and this scenario had
further contributed to the rising rate of unemployment
and poverty in the society
 A well trained electrical installation worker will be
capable of designing, installing and repairing or
maintaining electrical work systems in industries and
residential buildings and despite the dire need of
producing skilled and competent workers for technical
advancement and poverty reduction

5. Goals of electrical installation trade include:
•To empower individual with desirable skills, knowledge
and values to perform specific function in electrical
installation areas so as to become self-reliant after
graduation.
•To empower individual in such a manner that will
develop his intellectual capacities and help him to
make informed decision in all aspects of life.
•To enable the graduate at this level desire to acquire
higher vocational training and up skill his occupation
(Njoku, 2008)

6.  It is maintained that Electrical installation craftsmen
are expected to test, diagnose, service, install and
completely repair any fault on electrical machines and
equipment using the manufacturer’s manual (NBTE,
2004)
 Electrical installation trade programme in technical
colleges possesses the potentials to adequately equip
her students with requisite skills to propel them
contribute meaningfully to national economic
development and making them self-reliant in particular
which will reduce the level of unemployment and
poverty among them.

7.  Presently, many electrical installation trade graduates
still roam the street unemployed because they cannot
establish their own businesses using acquired skills,
students of technical Colleges may have acquired little
or no skills in Electrical Installation trades
 This could be as a result of paucity of training and
inadequate skill acquisition
 The real challenge lies on teachers of electrical
installation trade to formulate appropriate instructional
strategies that would ensure quality training and skill
acquisition in students for gainful employment and
poverty reduction.

8. The following methods could be used;
 Identification of tools
 Use of tools, equipment and materials and their care.
 Speed and accuracy of work done
 Job planning and analysis of tasks
 Utilization of relevant principles and information.
 Reading diagrams, symbols and drawing.
 Understanding summative evaluation of overall work
done both in the workshop, laboratories and in drawing
rooms.

9.  It is imperative that government, through technical
institutions in Nigeria, consider a proper implementation
of students’ skills acquisition in electrical installation
trades to equip the youths in Nigeria with appropriate
skills
 This will improve the workforce for national development
and reduce poverty

10. Thank you
for
lisTening