Indigenous Occupational Practices and Apprenticeship: Implications for Personal Development of Youths in South-West Nigeria

The study examined the relationship between indigenous occupational practices and apprenticeship, and personal development of youth in the south-west Nigeria. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The sample of 200 apprentices was drawn from 5 indigenous occupations selected in the south west Nigeria. A total number of 40 apprentices were drawn from each indigenous occupation using purposive non-probability sampling for the study. The study developed and used a questionnaire tagged: “Indigenous Occupational Practice and Apprenticeship, and Personal Development Questionnaire (IOPAPDQ)†with a reliability coefficient (r = 0.81) and complimented with interview for data gathering. Out of the 200 respondents were 119 males and 81 females youths with ages range between 15 and 25 years. Descriptive statistic of percentage as well as inferential statistic of Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r) was used for the data analysis. While the null hypotheses developed for the study were tested at .05 level of significance. The findings revealed that 64 percent of the apprentices observed are youths that have at least secondary school education while 36 percent do not, and there is significant relationship between pot making, blacksmithing, farming, adire textile, carving and personal development of youth in the south-west Nigeria. It is therefore recommended among others that the trainers and other leaders in the workplace should make regular visits and contact with apprentices in the workplace; the apprentices should always be exposed to more site or trial periods on the job so as to develop their skills in the occupations. Finally, apprenticeship in indigenous occupations should be designed in a way to provide adequate technological orientation and preparation for career development.