Factors influencing youth participation in skills training programs at the School for continuing education in Mongu District of Zambia

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Date
2014-10-21
Authors
Mboma, Nakweti
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Abstract
This is a report of the study on Factors influencing youth participation in skills training programs offered by the School for Continuing Education in Mongu District of Zambia.The study was conducted to establish the factors that influence youth participation in the skills training programs offered by the School for Continuing Education in Mongu District. The study was based on four research objectives. First, to establish the factors that influence youth participation in skills training programs. Secondly,to assess the availability of educational resources to the skills programs, thirdly, to establish the perception of the community towards the training provided by the school and fourthly to determine ways of increasing youth participation in skills programs. The study used a case study design. The study population was the Principal, all the teachers and all the students at Mongu School for Continuing Education, youths and community members in Mongu District. The sample population was 169 and comprised of 30 out of school youths, 50 community members from Mbikusita compound, 77 students, 11 teachers and 1 Principal of Mongu School for Continuing Education.Systematic random sampling technique was employed to select community members and purposive sampling was used to select the out of school youths, students, teacher staff and the Principal.Qualitative information collected from open ended items from the questionnaire and interviews were analyzed and put into identified themes and categories. As regards numerical data, manual coding system was used and presented on frequency tables for the sake of clarity. The study revealed that the combination of the academic and skills sections, lack of knowledge about the school, lack of boarding facilities, school known to be a secondary school, poor infrastructure, inadequate materials and tools and low caliber of students enrolled were among the factors that negatively influenced the participation of youths in the skills programs offered at Mongu School for Continuing Education. The study recommends that the government, through the Ministry of Education, Science,Vocational Training and Early Education should build more infrastructure and increase financial support to the school in order to overcome the inadequacy of educational resources. The school administration should advertise to the public all the services offered by the school in order to overcome the lack of awareness of the skills section. The study established that the combining of the skills and academic sections was the main factor that negatively influenced the participation of youths in the skills programs atMonguSchool for Continuing Education. To address this, the school administration should separate the two sections. The administration at MonguSchool for Continuing Education should introduce demand driven programs in addition to the traditional courses that were being offered at the time of the study so that people can have a wider selection of courses.
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Occupational Training-Mongu, Zambia , Continuing Education , Life Skills Training
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