Evaluating the Impact of OTM Skills on Development Outcomes of Postgraduates in OTM in the Southwestern Region of Nigeria
Keywords:
Automobile mechanics, work skills, professional competencies, technical colleges, employabilityAbstract
This study examines the impact of Office Technology and Management (OTM) skills on economic advancement in
South Western Nigeria by assessing their distribution and how variations in skill levels The study operates within the framework of human capital, digital skills and innovation, employing a cross-sectional ex post facto design using data from 300 postgraduates of OTM, selected using multi-stage sampling from universities in 6 states. Data were collected through a validated and reliable questionnaire on KDPS, ICTS, COMS, EPROD, EMPINC and IDPATH, and were analyzed using descriptive statistics on the skill levels, one-way ANOVA for group differences and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to measure the direct and indirect relationships of the variables hypothesized. Findings indicate that OTM skills are generally high among postgraduate students and
exert a moderate but significant positive influence on productive behaviour and innovation pathways (β = 0.46, z =
3.30, p = 0.001; β = 0.39, z = 2.88, p = 0.0 04). Innovation pathways were found to strongly promote economic
development outcomes (β = 0.41, z = 3.09, p = 0.002). Additionally, OTM skills demonstrated a moderate positive
influence on employability and future income prospects (β = 0.33, z = 2.49, p = 0.013), as well as a small but
statistically significant direct effect on economic development outcomes (β = 0.21, z = 1.99, p = 0.047). These
results suggest a multi channel mechanism through which OTM skills enhance productivity, innovation, and
employa bility to drive economic development. development.. The research also concludes that OTM skills are prevalent and strategically important concerning economic development, making them a key area in the skills needed for development. This suggests the importance of helping postgraduate students OTM skills in a way that also would strengthen development. The research advocates for the expansion of competency-based OTM curricula, especially in the areas of digital and innovation competencies, along with the strengthening of institutional–industry connections, in order to improve the translation of OTM competencies into productivity, employability and innovation outcomes.
