Occupational Mobility in Engineering Profession (Craftman and Artisan) in Oyo State, Nigeria

¹Ilori, T.A., ²Dauda.,T.O., ³Raji.A.O,  and  ⁴Kilanko,. O. O

¹Dept. of Agric. Engineering Programme, Federal College of Agric., Ibadan.

²Obafemi Awolowo University, Institute of Agricultural Research & Training, PMB 5029, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria.

³Dept. of Agric. and Environmental Engineering, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.

⁴Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Covenant university Ota.

Corresponding author Email: iloritaa@yahoo.com

Accepted 29 November 2012

Abstract

This paper evaluate occupational mobility in engineering professional in Oyo State of Nigeria with the goal assessing causes and readiness of the professionals to return to the profession when the hindering factors are removed as well as sufficiency of the survey instrument in addressing the research problems. The study was conducted using a well structured questionnaire administered in 20 local government of Oyo State, Nigeria representing the sample space of 0.424. The Cronbach’s alpha of the reliability test of 0.453 was returned for the scale mean statistics of 11516.83 and variance of 0.0000007 showing that the survey instrument was sufficient and could be relied upon. The result of the socio economic analysis showed that 80% of the respondents were married while (15%) were single and the rest (5%) were divorced. The age distribution of the respondents ranged between greater than 50 years groups (12%) and 30 -39 years group (39%).The result of the analysis of job characteristics of the respondents showed that the longer the year of graduation, the lesser the number of graduates still in the business. The cross table analysis of the socio-economic indices with the job status of the respondents showed that marital status and level of education does not have significant effects on the job status of the respondents (whether still practicing or not) because 1.454 and 5.223 returned for both marital status and level of education are not significant (P<0.05). Also, the contingency table analysis of the effects of the skill acquisition methods showed that more of the respondents who acquired their skill via Technical School (70%) are willing to go back to the professions. However, for those who acquired their skill through Learning/artisanship, less than average (32%) of the respondents are ready to return to the profession. Lastly, the establishment of the regression model for the relationship between the proportion of the people wishing to go back to the profession and year of practicing the profession provide a necessary impetus for addressing the Job mobility problem faced by the profession.

Keywords: Mobility, artisan, craftsman, okada, occupation.