CULTIVATING ELECTRICAL POWER TECHNOLOGY SKILLS FOR STUDENTS IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH KATSINA ELECTRICITY DISTRIBUTION COMPANY

Abstract

Despite inclusion of excursion and Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) to address aspects of
power technology in the curriculum of technical colleges as proposed by the National Board for Technical Education, a cavity exists in the relationship between technical colleges in Katsina State and Katsina Electricity
Distribution Company (KEDCO). As a result of this gap students from technical colleges in Katsina lacks adequate skills in power technologies that will empower them to become self-enterprising or be consumed by powerindustries. The purpose of conducting this study is to investigate cultivation of electrical power technology skills in technical colleges in Katsina State of Nigeria. Survey research design is used as the design of the study. Questionnaire served as the data collection instrument whilst descriptive statistics analysis is used in the representation of data as results of the study. The area of the present study covered five (5) technical colleges and eight (8) designed power sub-stations, namely: IBB, Kofar Guga, Fadama, Kofar Sauri, Daura, Musawa, Malumfashi, Funtua KTRD, and Textile Injection sub-stations. However, findings revealed that no relationship exists between technical colleges and power industry such as KEDCO towards excursion as well as SIWES which expose students to various skills in power technologies. Quite a few means of cultivating electrical power technology skills by students in technical colleges included: inviting and involving qualified electrical engineers as guest lecturers during school activities and as resource persons during curriculum review. Finally, conclusion was hinged on functional context theory and recommendations were advanced.