Empowering Rural Community of Laguna for Maximum Societal Impact through Skills Acquisition

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the level to which rural community are empowered through skill acquisition programs. Objectively, this study intended to: 1.) describe the present socio-economic characteristics of rural community of Laguna, 2.) examine the available skills acquired by rural community, 3.) investigate the skills acquisition that will be needed for their empowerment, 4.) determine the relevancy of skills acquisition for self-reliance among the rural community, and 5.) ascertain the factors discouraging/hindering rural community from participating in skill acquisition program. This paper measures the social and economic impact of training and skills development on rural community who participated in training provided by social purpose. An implicit policy assumption is that such organizations will be contributed to social and economic regeneration. Examining the costs and benefits of training to trainees. The results may demonstrate that while changes to both the economic and social well‐being of trainees may occur. Furthermore, social purpose needed to be demonstrated the socioeconomic benefits of their training programs to secure future funding, public or private, but proving their successful delivery even if it may be difficult to determine.


Introduction
Acquisition of skills could be seen as an aspect of training, since education in our traditional system is the cultural transmission of knowledge from the older ones in the society to the younger ones.According to Bolt-Lee (2013), skill is the art of possessing the ability to have power, authority or competency to do the task required of an individual on the job.Skills are not persons' fundamental, innate capacities but must be developed through training, practice, and experience.It is the process of acquiring or gaining effective and ready knowledge in developing ones' aptitude and ability in particular field, (Ezeani,2012).
In many Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), activities done by the Extension and Services of Laguna State Polytechnic University, within the different municipalities of Laguna particularly District IV-4A, it was further requested for them to help actualize their skills in the rural areas in different municipalities, particularly in:1.) computer literacy and repair for training youths especially graduates at no cost since computer literacy skills has become prerequisite for employment in the work place, 2.) orientation on proper waste management / disposal items and other household materials that could be sold to raise money in support of training rural community for skill acquisition, 3.) continuous education when calamity and disaster hits the place and most of the individuals are in the evacuation centers,4.)new technology that could help them in faster production of crops/agricultural technology,5.) entrepreneurial skills, etc.
Poverty and its symptoms become a dominant feature, if unemployment and the increase in antisocial vices like drug addiction, kidnapping, lack of marketable skills and the like will take place, (Echebiri,2015).On the level of the Universities along the area of this rural communities, who offers skills training and technology transfer with the rural communities, particularly that of LSPU, questions are: Does the actual skills with the rural individuals have been developed and empowered?Have these programs provided the type of skills needed by these rural community and in their own view?What were the modalities for effective implementation acquisition programs?In an attempt to provide these questions, this study strives to find out the extent of skills acquisition for self-reliance and rural youth empowerment.

Methodology
This study employed descriptive survey design.The respondents comprise of seven (7) municipalities of Laguna in District IV-4A, where LSPU initially have Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) in conducting extension programs.The data was collected by means of research constructed survey-questionnaires titled, "Skills Acquisition Questionnaires for Rural Community of Laguna".This instrument was used objectively to elicit opinions from the respondents on the following: Available skills acquired by individuals, skills needed by community, the relevancy of skills acquisition for self-reliance and the impeding challenges for skills acquisition implementation.The questionnaire was subjected to face and content validation by expert.The reliability of the instrument was tested using Cronbach Alpha.The researcher administered the questionnaires together with the extension chairperson and coordinators of the different colleges of the university.
On the interview with some of the respondents reveals that this increment in the number of employed was a result of recruitment from the private companies outside the community.More so, the difference in the responses of the upland area community and those on the lowland could be as a result of the fact that lowland area is densely characterized with small and medium enterprises within the vicinity which might be the reason and chances of employment to reduce the level of unemployed.It also created an enabling business environment, thereby making the rural community to be self-employed by venturing into one form of business to the other.The results and findings of this study collaborates the submission of Echebiri, (2017) and Adekunle, et.al., (2019), that people in rural area marry earlier and majority terminated their educational aspiration at the secondary level, that may result to unemployment.Also, the result in Table1 point out that more than 49% of the respondents have attained the junior secondary school but more than 46% are not self-employed.These findings support the claim of Udoh, (2018), who assert that inability of junior secondary school graduates to become self-reliant results from luck of productive and marketable skills that should have been learn by the students during their respective time at school.  2 shows the available skills acquired by the selected rural community of Laguna.There was a large number of No response (X1=45.94%,X2=69.97%) that has learned at technical skills to Yes response (X1=56.16%,X2=36.03%) while 100% of the respondents possessed literacy skills.(X1=26.33%,X2=30.93%),(X1=3.45%,X2=20.12%),(X1=possess a technical skill in electrical wiring / electronics repairs and computer software training.Other skills are: bread and pastry (X1=29.23 %, X2=50.75 %), carpentry (X1=21.48%, X2=25.52 %), dressmaking (X1=31.24%, X2=30.63 %), auto-cad training (X1=25.22%,X2=28.22%),cellphone repair (X1=2.01%,X2=23.42%).
Table shows that the rural community possess mastery of the literacy skill which obtained through the formal education (primary, secondary and tertiary) and low percentage on the achievement of technical skills which are marketable for employment and self-employment.These findings collaborate the affirmation of Oviawe, (2018), who affirmed that secondary schools hardly prepare students for their roles as self-reliant citizens and workers in the 21th century.Moreover, most of today's institutions are centerbased on teaching and learning of theories and never pay attentions to practical oriented conditions and environment that will help in the production of marketable skills graduates.It is important to unveil the skills acquired by the community that will enhance their employment and empowerment.There was a small insignificant response of skills needed as per respondents' feedback.Some of which are: fashion designing, tailoring, tie and die, and food catering services.On the other hand, most of the skills needed by the upland area of rural community resulted on agreeable response are those in metal works, electrical installation, masonry, hairdressing, cosmetology / hair styling, computer software, carpentry, welding fabrication and bakery among others.
Rural community of lowland area recorded a small insignificant response of skills needed in auto servicing, and bakery.While there is a positive response in metal works, electrical installation, hair dressing, computer software, food and catering services, fish farming and welding and fabrication.4 indicate that skills acquisition helps to reduce joblessness and create jobs.It also reduces poverty level among the rural community of Laguna.This study also revealed that skills acquisition that enhances community self-reliance and independency.This study collaborates the findings of Ogundele, et al (2011) who declared that skills acquisition will aid job creation, youth empowerment and poverty alleviation.It also shows that the general public will not depend on white collar jobs for survival.These results and findings are in tandem with the affirmation of Amaehule (2011) that possession of skills is important in preventing become gainfully employed through misfits, because, these skilled persons become gainfully employed through vocational training and acquisition of skills.
Other findings were: promotion of individual creativity and innovation, development of community's entrepreneurial ability, discovery of individual's talent and potentials.Through the acquisition of skill program, an individual will be able to find out his/her area of competence and capability.An individual must not acquire tertiary educational qualification before it can become useful and meaningful to the society.The respondents agreed that all the listed factors actually impede the rural community participation in skill acquisition programs.Prominent among these are poor or lack of training facilities, labor intensiveness and poor funding and financing.This fact is in line with the argument of Chukwuolue (2012) as cited by Ifeakor and Nwanekezi (2013), who noted that one of the criticisms of skills acquisition initiatives has center on the nature and scope of financing of their programs.

Conclusions and Recommendations
This research study established that the effective utilization of skills acquisition will be a strong combat tool for poverty reduction and empowerment among rural community.The following has been deduced from the findings of this study that; skills acquisition will contribute to the society in terms of reduction of joblessness, as well as crime prevention.It also enhances individual creativity and innovations.Majority of rural community are not technically oriented which is the brain of employment and empowerment.Others have no or little source of income.Enrollment into skill acquisition program was not gender bias as female amidst their counterpart, also participated in one skill which earn them being self-employed.Final, some elements of skill acquisition should be integrated into school learning with extensive supervision.
Base on the findings, it is recommended among others to improve skill acquisition among rural community of Laguna for their improvement that: • The local government unit should ensure the provision and availability of funds for trainees to be able to set themselves up after acquiring their chosen skills for training.• Apprenticeship schemes should be formalized in the rural community to enable those pursuing skills acquisition through that medium have sense of belonging.• Non-government organization and other stakeholders should join hand in hand in organizing skill acquisition center at an affordable rate.
• Companies and government employment exercise should be done in such a way to accommodate or employed people with skills and not to be prepare and certificate qualification only.• the integration of skill acquisition into educational institutions should be standardizing with modern facilities, qualified instructors with quality supervision.