Utility Education: A Gateway for Students’ Empowerment, Employability and Sustainability in the World of Work

Abstract

The urgent need to eliminate social vices in our society makes it expedient that government should give priority to educational system that will equip students with practical skills, knowledge and competencies for job opportunities in the world of work. Utility education is a practical-oriented education that will serve as a gateway for students’ empowerment, employability and sustainability in order to reduce social vices in the society. This paper highlights the branches of Utility Education offered in tertiary institutions and their roles in National economic development. Random sampling techniques was used to select 160 HND 2 students out of total population of 300 students in Yaba College of Technology, Yaba, Lagos, Lagos State. The instrument for data collection was a 35-item questionnaire, validated by experts from the departments of Office Technology and Management (OTM), Home economics, Computer and Automobile Engineering. The study reveals that Utility education is a functional education that will inculcate in the students the required entrepreneurial and employability skills for job opportunities after graduation. The paper recommends amongst others that government should give priority to utilitarian education through provision of enabling environment in schools for proper development of human and material resources to meet the needs of the nation