Revitalization of Foundry Technology in Tertiary Institution

Abstract

This research investigates the revitalization of foundry technology in tertiary institutions with a focus on its impact on skill acquisition, graduate employability, and institutional performance, using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 150 respondents comprising students, lecturers, and technologists across selected Federal, and state tertiary institutions. A structured questionnaire, validated through expert review and with reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s Alpha) of 0.81, was employed to gather data on the availability of foundry equipment, staff competency, institutional support and practical training. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent samples t-test, and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings revealed that the current state of foundry technology is suboptimal, with low availability of equipment and infrequent practical sessions. A significant positive correlation was found between equipment availability and students’ skill acquisition (r= 0.62, p< 0.01). Regression results showed that revitalization efforts significantly predict graduate employability (R2= 0.19, p<0.01). Furthermore, a significant difference was observed between federal and state institutions in terms of foundry implementation (t=2.34, p<0.05) institutional funding also emerged as a strong predictor of foundry unit performance (β=0.55, p<0.001) The study concludes that revitalizing foundry technology is essential for enhancing technical education outcomes and bridging the gap between training and industry needs. It recommends increased investment in foundry infrastructure, regular staff training, and policy reforms to support sustainable technical education across tertiary institutions

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