Assessment of Electrical Installation Skills Among Technical College Students in Taraba State

This study assessed the level of electrical installation skills among students of technical colleges in Taraba State, North East Nigeria. The growing demand for skilled electricians in construction, manufacturing, and rural electrification programmes makes competency in electrical installation a high-priority vocational outcome. The study used a practical skills assessment approach and a descriptive survey design, involving 180 final-year electrical installation students from three technical colleges. A standardized Electrical Installation Skills Assessment Rubric (EISAR) was developed and validated. Results showed that students performed adequately on basic tasks such as wiring residential circuits, but demonstrated poor competency in industrial installation, fault diagnosis, and adherence to safety standards, with mean competency scores below 50 percent for advanced tasks. Instructors attributed these gaps to outdated training boards, insufficient exposure to three-phase systems, and the absence of online training simulations. The study recommends that the Taraba State Technical Education Board upgrade training facilities to include modern simulation boards, three-phase training panels, and safety equipment, and that partnerships with the Taraba State Electricity Distribution Company be formalized for industrial attachment programmes. Annual curriculum reviews incorporating current National Grid standards are also essential. Keywords: electrical installation, technical colleges, Taraba State, skills assessment, vocational education.