Emerging Workshop Competencies Needed for Establishing Automobile Enterprises by Motor Vehicle Mechanics in Fuel and Ignition Systems Maintenance in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the emerging workshop competencies needed for the establishment of Automobile enterprise by motor vehicle mechanics trade in fuel and ignition maintenance in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The research was guided by two purposes, two research questions, and two null hypotheses. A descriptive research design was adopted, with a population of 154 respondents, comprising 140 master craftsmen (motor vehicle mechanics) selected using a random sampling technique and 14 automobile industrial technicians. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire titled Automobile Enterprises Emerging Workshop Competencies Questionnaire (AEEWCQ), adapted and validated by three experts. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was 0.85, established using Cronbach’s Alpha. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS Version 23, while mean and standard deviation were used to answered the research questions and z-test statistics used to test hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. Findings indicated that all identified competencies were considered highly essential for establishing viable automobile workshops in Yenagoa. The study recommends that the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC), working with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, integrate these competencies into mechanic training programs to build current capacity for modern vehicles. Likewise, since many mechanics were trained through technical colleges, the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) should embed these competencies into curricula to improve graduates’ readiness for entrepreneurship and modern vehicle servicing.