Abstract

Diversifying the livestock production sector of agriculture in low-income countries has to be proportional to the available workforce to withstand the expected regulations arising from the effects of climate change. However, the shortage of graduates of Vocational Agricultural Education (VAE) who would have been sourced directly to mass-produce other adaptable livestock (mini-livestock) becomes an overwhelming challenge in Nigeria. Numerous studies indicate that fresh graduates (FGs) of VAE encounter crop and animal husbandry challenges due to a lack of entry-level competencies. The study, therefore, investigated the FGs’ level of awareness and capabilities in mini-livestock production and acceptance and intention to use a framework of entry-level competencies. A survey research design was adopted and 122 FGs were selected using the purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a set of needs assessment questionnaires on MP. The data were analysed using means, standard deviation and a one-way ANOVA. The result showed that the FGs of VAE have a low capability in MP, a moderate level of awareness, and a high level of acceptance and intention to use a framework of entry-level competencies. It was concluded that the FGs of VAE are deficient in mini-livestock production skills; therefore, there is a need to develop a framework of entry-level competencies for MP to address their entry to practice gaps.