Optimising Educational Technology Integration in Industrial Technical Education: Examining Course Content Adequacy for Graduate Employability in Emerging Industries

Abstract

This study explored how educational technology integration and course content adequacy influence graduate employability within Industrial Technical Education (ITE) programmes in Lagos and Ogun States, Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, involving 174 respondents drawn from three key stakeholder groups: lecturers, students, and industry experts across UNILAG, LASUED, and Tai Solarin Federal University of Education. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire (ETICAGEQ) with a reliability coefficient of 0.83 and analysed using mean, standard deviation, and one-way ANOVA at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that stakeholders generally perceive technology integration, curriculum adequacy, and graduate employability as moderately high. Although lecturers and students reported slightly higher ratings than industry experts, no statistically significant differences were observed among the groups. Notably, industry experts’ relatively lower ratings suggest a gap between academic practices and current industrial expectations. The study concludes that while ITE programmes provide a solid foundation for employability, more deliberate, technology-driven, and collaborative reforms are necessary to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving digital economy.