Identifying the elements of generic skills required by automotive industries for the employment of the federal polytechnics graduates in Nigeria

Abstract

The Nigerian employment market, places priority in employing graduates who possess the necessary skills that would enhance productivity in line with global practices and standards. These skills are referred to as soft, non-technical or generic skills. This paper is an attempt to identify and list those generic skills elements required by the Automotive Industry in Nigeria for the employment of automotive graduates from the Federal Polytechnics in the country. To achieve this aim, two objectives were set for the study. The data was gathered and analyzed using qualitative data techniques. The findings of the study revealed that the generic skills required by the automotive industry include communication skills, ethics and professionalism, adaptability, and teamwork skills amongst others. Recommendations suggested includes strengthening the synergy between school and industry as well as a review of the TVET curriculum to incorporate the generic skills into the automotive technology program of Federal Polytechnics in Nigeria.