INDUSTRIAL TRAINING IN GHANA: PERCEPTIONS OF THE UNDERGRADUATE CONSTRUCTION STUDENT

Abstract

The recent oil discovery and processing in Ghana is expected to result in growth of infrastructural development and increased chances of construction graduates to secure jobs. Universities hold the responsibility of producing graduates with sufficient background and excellent qualification to meet the expectations of the construction industry. Although universities‘ curricula have provisions for industrial training (IT), such programmes have not made the expected impact and need quick redress. This paper assesses the perceptions of undergraduate construction students of the College of Architecture and Planning of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana, on IT, and identifies challenges and possible measures to overcome such challenges. A structured questionnaire survey of 185 final year Building Technology and Architecture students was conducted. Data obtained were analyzed based on mean scores of factors evaluated and also t-test to assess the significance of the differences between students‘ performance before and after undertaking IT. Students are of the view that IT exposes them to real work environment and increase their job prospects among others. Students‘ satisfaction level with their performance on personal attitude, communication and work attitude significantly improved after undergoing IT. They are, however, not satisfied with their departments‘ involvement, particularly, with regards to placement and monitoring. Stressful placement processes and financial strain on students are some of the challenges identified. Educational institutions are to collaborate with industry to secure suitable placement for all students and to monitor IT activities in order to enhance the effectiveness of training programmes.