ACCESS AND QUALITY EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND STUDENTS' EMPLOYMENT SKILLS IN IBADAN, OYO STATE

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between access
to education, quality of education, and the development
of employability skills among students in Ibadan within
the context of an evolving labour market. Using data
from 200 student respondents, the research explores
how different levels of educational access and quality
affect the acquisition of job-relevant competencies. The
study adopted a descriptive research design. The
population of the study was undergraduates in Ibadan.
An instrument titled “Employability Scale”was used to
gather information from sample size of 200. The
reliability of the instrument was 0.87, which indicates
that its consistent for measuring the construct. A multi
stage sampling procedure was used to select
participants for the study. Findings reveal that student
with high access to education defined by regular
attendance, availability of qualified teachers, and
access to learning materials demonstrate significantly
stronger employability skills than those with moderate
or low access. Likewise, students exposed to high
quality education, which includes updated curricula. effective teaching methods, and adequate
infrastructure, are better prepared for employment
compared to their peers in low-quality learning
environments. To address these issues, the study
recommends support strategies such as curriculum
reform to align with industry needs, increased
investment in school facilities and technology,
continuous professional development for teachers,
and expansion of scholarship and financial aid
programs