Abstract
M.Phil. (Engineering Management)
Welding and fabrication technology is considered very important in every aspect of
industrialization and its application can be found in the virtually every field of industrial
activities. The advancement and application of welding and fabrication technology have
contributed to the fast development of human achievements in transportation, construction,
agriculture, health, defense, amongst others. It is, however, important that welding and
fabrication education and by extension their curriculum content is in line with the ever-evolving
technology space to meet the demands of industry. This research dissertation intends to assess
engineering technology graduates‟ perceptions of the welding and fabrication curriculum in
Nigeria with the sole objective of identifying its relevance to the graduate and industry. The
design of this study is a survey type research using a questionnaire to obtain the relevant
feedback from 122 graduates in the welding and fabrication from the Petroleum Training
Institute in Effurun, Nigeria. Empirical data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the
Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.
Factor analysis was used on the raw data while and the Mann-Whitney U test was used to check
for statistical significant differences in the groupings. Results revealed that the welding and
fabrication curriculum contains relevant knowledge for the industry. It also revealed the benefits
of research and project-based learning when included in the curriculum. This paper also
recommends a planned review of the curriculum in line with partnerships with industry
stakeholders.