IN-SERVICE TRAINING AND WORKERS PRODUCTIVITY IN AKANU IBIAM FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC UNWANA, EBONYI STATE (A CASE STUDY OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF 2017 - 2022)

Abstract

In-service training remains a critical mechanism for enhancing workers’ productivity and organizational effectiveness, particularly within tertiary educational institutions where knowledge, skills, and innovation are central to service delivery. This study examined the relationship between in-service training and workers’ productivity in Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, Ebonyi State, with specific focus on academic staff between 2017 and 2022. The study was motivated by observed inconsistencies and inadequacies in staff training programmes, despite the growing demands of technological advancement, curriculum development, and global competitiveness in the education sector. The objectives of the study were to examine the nature of in-service training programmes available to academic staff, assess the extent of their implementation by the institutional management, and determine the effects of inadequate in-service training on academic staff productivity. The study adopted a descriptive research design and relied on both primary and secondary sources of data. The population comprised 752 academic staff of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Unwana, from which a representative sample was drawn using appropriate sampling techniques of 261. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tools. The findings revealed that in-service training programmes such as workshops, seminars, conferences, and capacity-building initiatives exist but are irregularly implemented due to inadequate funding, poor planning, limited access, and insufficient institutional support. The study further established that inadequate in-service training negatively affects teaching effectiveness, research output, adoption of modern instructional technologies, and overall academic staff productivity.