STAFF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT: A TOOL FOR INCREASE IN PERFORMANCE IN ORGANIZATION IN ABIA STATE (A CASE OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ABIA STATE)

posted on August 22, 2019

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
- BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In any administrative organization, a large or small, public or private, competent personnel are required for the actualization of the organization’s goal and objectives. After workers have been hired to work for an organization, one striking thing about them is that they have different backgrounds, though they may have the same qualification. Also by having not worked for that organization before, they may not have indebt knowledge for the techniques, procedures, and culture of the organization.

In the same vein, Okezie, Obi and Abonyi (2005) stated that; Life is dynamic and new inventions and ways of doing things are continually evolving change is now regarded as anything permanent in life. In the work place, the workers need to be aware of these changes and also innovate accordingly.

As people work and rise in the hierarchy, they take on more responsibilities which may not even bear much resemblance to the ones they were exposed to at the early stage, hence they are supposed to be prepared early enough so that future challenges would not overwhelm them. They above in a nutshells, under show the need to equip the workers with necessary skill that will help in both present jobs and future responsibility and which can be achieved through training and development.

It is common for people to see training and development as the same thing. However, it is important to point out that though, they are similar but are not the same things. In the work of Campbell 91971), training “is a planner learning experience designed to bring about permanent change in an individual knowledge, attitude or skill” Cole in Obikeke, Obi and Abonyi (2005) opined that training – any learning activity which is directed towards the acquisition of a specific knowledge and skill for the purpose of an occupation or task.

In addition, Ogunna (1996) opine that training “is a process by which the attitude, skills, technical knowledge and abilities of the employee to perform specific job are increased”. Development on the other hand, according Onuoha in Obikeze Obi and Abonyi (2005) states that staff development involves “preparing employees for high responsibilities in the future” It is also a programme with the intent to improve employees conceptual and human skill in preparation for future jobs.

In addition to that Cole in Obikeze, Obi and Abonyi (2005) opine that staff development is refers to any future needs rather than the present needs and which is concerned more with career growth than immediate performance.

Writing on the staff development and training in organization, Ubeku (1975) state that “employees who have received adequate training before being assigned responsibilities lack the necessary confidence with which to carryout their job”. That the employees should be helped to growth into more responsibilities by systematic training and development so that he will be confident enough to carryout the responsibilities of their jobs.

However, Campbell (1971) states that the distinction between training and development is that development aimed at the managerial personnel and that training course are designed for short term and stated set purpose, such as operation of some pieces of machinery and others.

From the above, it is now clear that there is a major different between training and development. Though both of them are geared toward increasing or improving the skills of workers.

Training is concerned with teaching the workers specific skills that will assist them in their immediate task while development is concerned with teaching the workers more general skills that will assist them in career growth, thereby enquiring for the future.

Commenting on the inevitability of training and development, Onyemesim (2008) indicate that effective training programme can result in increased productivity, reduce labour turnover, and greater employee satisfaction.

Countless writers on the subject on the other hand come out with the conclusion that the need for training and development cannot be overemphasized, yet public organization place it at the bottom of their priorities.

Still on that Ogunna (1996), opine that “training of personnel has not been given adequate alteration in Nigeria while Federal Ministry are specialized bodies of government and norms peculiar to it.

Britain gives specific alternation to regular specialized training for public organization staff. So, this was inherited by Nigeria during colonial era.

The Federal Government in its programme of training designed three universities, namely Obafemi Awolowo University for the western zone, University of Nsuka for the Eastern zone and Ahmadu Belo University Zaria for the Northern zone as national training centers for organizational personnel. In addition to formal academic training. The centre organized regular seminar and workshops for the public and private organizational personnel. However, various categories in addition to these national centers were also ill equipped, poorly financed and inefficiently managed staff towards the development of workers.

Secondly, the training of staff in the organization and handled by non experts and in some cases by people who never studied Public Administration as a subject.

Thirdly, sometimes the training programme contract is awarded to in-law, friends and relation in a manner that will heavily enrich the officer that controls the training vote.

Moreover, training programme contract is often fives as a form of public political patronage or friendship favour. Sometimes that training contract is given to non-existence consultancy firm. There is an absence of well articulated and properly designed training programme for the Federal Ministry of education personnel. In some case they are poorly planned ill-organized and ineffectively executed. In short, the Federal ministry of Education training in Nigeria is haphazardly gross inadequate and in inadequate and inefficient, which has led to low productivity in almost all the Federal ministry of the federation.

Federal ministry of education Abia State was established in the year 1993 under the military head of state, major General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida. This ministry was established for inspectorate service of both government and private schools. This ministry was sited at No 3 Ojike Street Umuahia in Umuahia North Local government of Abia State. The ministry is made up of coordinator of inspection (CJ) as the head of the ministry and other departments of Administrative department, Account, Store, Registry, Typing pool and technical department that made up the driver and security section.

Like other Federal ministries in the Federation, Federal ministry of Education Abia State has the primary goal of carrying out inspection on the positions of schools and with regard to the provision of:

Good management of the school
Quality of teachers
Conducive environment
Data of the number of schools and staff
Staff and overall standard.
Conducting workshop which as a problem living oriented discussion meeting. These handle very technical issues and strive to find solutions or generate information and ideas about them.
Recruitment of workers on grade level 1 to 6 through the “Junior staff Committee (local)” in the primary and secondary schools.

But it has failed abysmally in this quest for development because there a high rate of economic underdevelopment show cased inform of lack of well trained personnel, Godfatherism, bribery and corruption. The most crucial problem facing Federal Ministry of Education in Abia State is not from financing but inadequate quality manpower resources. Staff are not well qualified and lack the requisite experience. Training and development programme are hindered by those factors mentioned above.

In conclusion, personnel are the life of any organization. Its effective management is therefore very central and crucial in the achievement of organization objectives. The effectiveness of Federal ministry of education Abia State depends to a large extent on the efficiencies of its staff. What emerges as a conclusion is that staff is not given specialized training and development that will give effects to professionalism of the Federal ministries services.