THE EFFECT OF APPRENTICESHIP ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ARTISANS

THE EFFECT OF APPRENTICESHIP ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ARTISANS

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

The contribution of apprenticeship to jobs and skills has long been appreciated by countries eager to promote growth and ease the transition from full-time education to work for young people. Both France and England have around 5 per cent of 16-24 year olds in apprenticeship and have made strenuous efforts to expand numbers (Cilpepper&Thelen, 2008). Currently, however, places offered by employers are not sufficient to meet the huge demand from young people or to have much impact on youth unemployment in these countries – the unemployment rate is currently around 20 per cent for 15-24 year olds in both countries and higher still in European countries without apprenticeship provision (Steedman, 2011)

While a positive relationship between apprenticeship and low youth unemployment can be observed over time, it would be misguided to see apprenticeship primarily as a ‘cure’ for high youth unemployment. Apprenticeship is first and foremost about skill development to the benefit of companies, their employees and the wider economy. Apprenticeship can accommodate a wide range of abilities and aptitudes because it accurately reflects the equally wide range of skills required in a modern economy (Bosch & Charest, 2008). However, it is not a sufficient solution to improving the labour market transition of young people with poor school achievements or other disadvantages.

The expression apprenticeship means any system by which an employer undertakes by contract to employ a young person and to train him [or her] or have him [or her] trained systematically for a trade for a period the duration of which has been fixed in advance and in the course of which the apprentice is bound to work in the employer’s service (Steedman& Ryan, 1998). This process of training has led to the development of the bulk of the artisan. Systematic long-term training for a recognized occupation taking place substantially within an undertaking or under an independent craftsman should be governed by a written contract of apprenticeship and be subject to established standards.

Apprenticeship training is taken to denote training programmes that combine vocational education with work-based learning for an intermediate occupational skill (i.e., more than routinised job training), and that are subject to externally imposed training standards, particularly for their workplace component (Steedman, 2011).

Apprenticeship in the informal economy is a widespread phenomenon, including in G20 countries. In order to pass on skills from one generation to the next, poor societies have developed informal apprenticeship systems that are purely workplace-based. A young apprentice learns by way of observation and imitation from an experienced master craftsperson, acquires the skills of the trade and is inducted into the culture and networks of the business (Streeck, 1987). Apprenticeship agreements are mostly oral, yet they are embedded in the society’s customs, norms and traditions. Countries in mediaeval Europe developed strong apprenticeship systems regulated by crafts associations, the guilds (Streeck, 1987). Today, informal apprenticeship is an extensive training system in countries with large informal economies all over the world including Nigeria. Variations in terms of practices are wide, yet the basic feature remains the same: the training agreement between a young learner and an experienced craftsperson to transmit the skills of a trade. Most of the learners becomes the normal artisan upon completion of training. There have been a lot of doubts in the performance of several artisans in Nigeria. Despite the system’s strength of providing skills relevant to Artisans, informal apprenticeship has a number of weaknesses. Long working hours, unsafe working conditions, low or no allowances or wages, little or no social protection in case of illness or accident, andstrong gender imbalances are among the decent work deficits often found in an apprenticeship which is believed to have significant effect on the performance of the artisans.

On the one hand, upgrading informal apprenticeship is considered important to address these weaknesses. On the other hand, compared to investing in expanding formal technical education and training, it is a cost-effective way to invest in a country’s skills base and enhance employability of youth, since training is integrated into the production process.

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

Performance of artisans upon completion of apprenticeship training is the most fundamental requirement of a successful apprenticeship training system.

Thus apprenticeship training provides firms with young employees (artisans) who have mastered the skill set necessary for a given role within the firm. In addition, the apprentice has acquired knowledge and transferable skills. He/she has absorbed the culture of the firm and an appreciation of its organization and operation by the virtue of the training received. However, the researcher is examining the effect of apprenticeship training on the performance of artisans.

1.3   OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The following are the objectives of this study:

1. To examine the effect of apprenticeship training on the performance of artisans.
2. To examine the process and organization of apprenticeship training.
3. To identify the factors limiting the performance of artisans.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

1. What is the effect of apprenticeship training on the performance of artisans?
2. What is the process and organization of apprenticeship training?
3. What are the factors limiting the performance of artisans?

1.5   HYPOTHESIS

THE EFFECT OF APPRENTICESHIP ON THE PERFORMANCE OF ARTISANS