INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT) SKILLS AND THE EMPLOYABILITY OF OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT (OTM) GRADUATING STUDENTS IN PUBLIC POLYTECHNICS IN SOUTH SOUTH, NIGEIRA

Abstract

This study was carried out to examine the extent to which Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills predict employability of Office Technology and Management graduating students in Public Polytechnics in South South, Nigeria. The study was guided by two research questions and two research hypotheses. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 2,254 Office Technology and Management graduating students. Taro Yamane’s formula was used to obtain a sample size of 375 Office Management and Technology graduating students for the study. The sample was obtained using a ltistage sampling technique. The researcher developed an instrument tagged “Information and Communication Technology Skills and Employability of Students Questionnaire (ICTSESQ)” for collecting data. The instrument was face validated by three experts in Faculty of Education and Faculty of Vocational Education, Library and Information Science respectively, all in University of Uyo, Uyo. Cronbach Alpha Statistics was used to obtain a reliability coefficient of 0.86 for the ICTSESQ. Regression Analysis statistics was used in answering the research questions and in testing the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that internet surfing and video conferencing skills significantly predict the employability of Office Technology and Management graduating students in public Polytechnics in South South, Nigeria. It was recommended that Office Technology and Management curricula should incorporate structured training on effective internet surfing skills, including information search, evaluation and ethical use of online resources. Students should be encouraged to engage in research-based and online collaborative tasks that enhance their ability to use the internet productively for office-related functions. Also, polytechnics should integrate video conferencing tools into teaching and learning processes to familiarize students with virtual communication platforms. Regular use of online meetings, presentations and virtual collaborations will help students develop confidence and professionalism required in modern workplaces.