An Assessment of the Effectiveness of Competency-Based Education Model in Enhancing the Employability of Technical Education Graduates in Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

The persistent disconnect between technical education outcomes and industry expectations in Lagos State, Nigeria, continues to undermine graduate employability despite increasing adoption of Competency-Based Education (CBE) models. This study assessed the effectiveness of CBE in enhancing graduate employability, examining skill development outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction. A descriptive survey design involved 80 technical graduates and 20 industry stakeholders from manufacturing and service sectors across Ikeja, Oshodi, Isolo, and Apapa. A 30-item validated questionnaire (reliability = 0.85) was used. Data were analyzed using means, standard deviations, Pearson's correlation, and Chi-square at 0.05 significance level. Findings revealed that CBE significantly enhances problem-solving, workplace readiness, and skill acquisition, with a moderate positive correlation (r = 0.65, p < 0.05) between CBE exposure and employability. However, both graduates (mean = 3.80) and industry stakeholders (mean = 3.72) expressed substantial dissatisfaction with current implementation, citing inadequate resources, unprepared instructors, curriculum-industry misalignment, outdated equipment, and weak quality assurance. The study concludes that while CBE demonstrates significant potential for improving employability, its effectiveness is severely constrained by implementation challenges requiring urgent systemic intervention. Recommendations include policy reforms mandating industry-integrated curricula, public-private partnerships for resource mobilization, continuous professional development for educators, regular curriculum review aligned with labor market demands, and sustainable funding models for CBE infrastructure. Keywords: Competency-Based Education; employability; technical education; skills gap; graduate unemployment; Lagos State; industry collaboration