Public perceptions of the performance of vocational and technical graduates in selected institutions in Cape Coast Metropolis.

Abstract

This study set out to comprehend some of the "factors that affect the effective utilization of Votec education in the service of local economic development in the Cape Coast metropolis. It has also been undertaken to unearth the public perception on the performances of vocational and technical graduates in the world of work, with special reference to some selected institutions and industries in the metropolis. The study utilized survey methodology with data collection from a sample of VOTEC users (industrialists), educators and graduates and likert-type rating scales to determine the validity of several perceptions surrounding the VOTEC education issue. The study discovered that: Government was perceived as the key player in the development of Votec education and VOTEC graduate participation in the labour force. Students of VOTEC were insistent that their training had inculcated in them the necessary skills, competence, motivation and self-efficiency to engage in VOTEC employment as well as self-employment. However, there was a definite lack of optimism about the future of the VOTEC experiment as presently constituted. The study concluded that while educators, graduates and employers were universally inclined to view VOTEC positively, the role of government was perceived with mixed feelings. It is recommended that the government provides the enabling environment for employers, teachers and students in the Cape Coast metropolis.