Relationship between Parental Educational Attainment and University Students’ Employability and Sustainable Development Skills in Kano State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to assess the relationship between Parental Educational Attainment and university students Employability and Sustainable Development Skills in Kano State, Nigeria. The objective of the study explored the correlation between parents' educational levels and their children's preparedness for the workforce and understanding of sustainable development. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study involves final-year students of Bayero University, Kano. According to the data collected, there are 6432 final-year students spread across all the faculties in the institution. The sample size of the study was 357 students selected using stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The researcher developed a questionnaire on children's employability skills; a standardised test was used for data collection. The data collected was analysed using frequency, mean and standard deviation. The inferential statistics of PPMC were used to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that University students whose parents have higher educational attainment exhibit stronger employability skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork (p=0.00<0.05). Also, students from families with higher parental educational attainment have a greater awareness of sustainable development practices (r=0.03<0.05). Therefore, the study concludes that Higher parental educational attainment has a positive correlation with students Employability and Sustainable Development Skills in Kano State, Nigeria. The study recommends, among others, that institutions should establish mentorship programmes that connect university students with successful professionals from similar backgrounds. These mentors can serve as role models and provide guidance on employability and sustainable development practices to cater to students whose parents are not educated. Also, government should integrate sustainable development concepts into university curricula across various disciplines. This can help students understand the importance of sustainability and how it relates to their future careers.