Assessment Of Fashion Design Trade Of National Open Apprenticeship Scheme In South-East, Nigeria:- Akanwa, U.N

Abstract The study assessed the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS) of the National Directorate ofEmployment (NDE) in South-East Nigeria with focus on fashion design trade under the domestic trade cluster. The study postulated three specific objectives and three research questionsfor a research focus. Evaluation research design was adopted for this study. The population comprised 1870 respondents. The study used multi-stage sampling techniques to select 771 participants. The researcher-developed instruments called NOAS Resources Checklist (NRC) and NOAS Evaluation Questionnaire (NEQ)) were usedfor data collection validated by experts in Measurement andEvaluation and Industrial and Technical Education and a reliability index of 0.87 was recordedfor NEQ using CronbachAlpha, while NRChad an inter-raterreliability coefficient index of0.695 using Cohen's k statistics. Frequency count, percentages, mean (X) and standard deviationwere usedto answerresearch questions,finding indicatedthatfacilitiesfor fashion design trade are available andfairly adequate in NOAS training centers; no criteria such asprevious academic qualification/certificate oforigin are required to applvfor the scheme, findingfurther revealed that the advertising media used to advertiser NOAS training opportunities are satisfactoiy; trainees have the right to choose vocationalskillofchoice and financialsupport aregiven to them to start their own business. It was recommended among others that the NDE should consult evaluation and curriculum experts to develop standardized instruments for placement assessment, certification, gradingscheme andactivitymodulesfortrades underthe scheme