EFFECTS OF INDUSTRY ACADEMIA COLLABORATION IN ENHANCING SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYABILITY OF METALWORK STUDENTS IN LAGOS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGES

This study investigated the effects of industry-academia collaboration in enhancing skills development and employability of metalwork students Lagos State Technical Colleges. A descriptive survey design was used, involving 51 participants 31 industry managers and 20 metalwork teachers. Since the population size was small, all were included without sampling.Data were collected using a structured 24 items questionnaire titled Effects of Industry Academia Collaboration in Enhancing Skills Development and Employability of Metalwork Students in Lagos State Technical Colleges (EIACESDEMWS). It used a 4 point scale: Strongly Agree(4) to Strongly Disagree (1). The researchers with support from three assistants, administered and successfully retrieved all copies of the questionnaire. Two research questions and two hypotheses, tested at a0.05 significance level, guided the study. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions, while t-tests were used to test the hypotheses.A mean score of 2.50 or above indicated agreement. For hypotheses testing,p-values a 0.05 indicated significant differences. Findings revealed no significant difference in responses from industry managers and teachers regarding collaboration strategies for skill development and employability improvement.This suggests a shared understanding of the importance of partnership between schools and industry. The study recommends stronger industry participation, especially in training and retraining technical teachers in modern metalwork technologies, and ensuring the provision of adequate tools and equipment to support practical skill development in technical colleges.