The Influence of Techncial Skills Acquisition on the Employability of Secretarial Administration Undergraduates at Tai Solarin Federal University of Education

This study investigated the influence of technical skills acquisition on the employability of Secretarial Administration undergraduates in Tai Solarin Federal University of Education (TASFUED), Ijagun, Ogun State. The study specifically examined three key technical skills: computer application skills, office equipment operation skills, and record and document management skills. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and the population comprised all undergraduates in the Department of Business Education, Faculty of Education. Using simple random sampling, 304 students were selected. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire titled Technical Skills Acquisition and Employability Questionnaire (TSAEQ) and analyzed using descriptive statistics for research questions and Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) for hypotheses testing at a 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that computer application skills, office equipment operation skills, record and document management skills had significant positive influences on the employability of Secretarial Administration undergraduates. Specifically, the correlation coefficients were 0.692, 0.641, and 0.658 respectively, all with p-values less than 0.05, indicating strong positive relationships. The study concluded that technical skills acquisition is a critical determinant of employability and the study recommended that TASFUED should enhance practical training, update the curriculum to reflect modern office technologies, provide internship opportunities, and foster collaboration with industry to improve graduates’ readiness for the labour market. The findings contribute to the discourse on employability by highlighting the importance of integrating technical skill development into secretarial education.