Staff Development Programmes and Institutional Performance at IMT, Enugu

Staff development is a critical investment that enables public institutions to build the competencies required for improved performance, innovation, and service delivery. This study evaluates the relationship between staff development programmes and institutional performance at the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, focusing on how training frequency, content relevance, and post-training deployment affect institutional outputs. The study is grounded in Human Capital Theory, which argues that continuous learning and skills development are investments that enhance employee productivity and contribute to the overall performance of organisations. A survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised academic and non-academic staff who had participated in at least one internal or external development programme within the past three years, from which 220 respondents were selected through purposive and stratified random sampling. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using multiple regression and descriptive statistics. Findings indicate that staff who participated in relevant development programmes reported higher self-assessed competence and institutional contribution scores. However, the absence of a post-training deployment policy means acquired skills are often underutilised. Budget limitations and limited access to external opportunities also constrain programme scope. The study concludes that institutional performance can be meaningfully enhanced through systematic staff development. It is recommended that the institution establish a structured training needs assessment process, create a training calendar aligned with institutional development goals, and institutionalise a policy for applying post-training skills within staff roles.

Keywords: Staff Development, Institutional Performance, Human Capital, Training, IMT Enugu