INFLUENCE OF FUNCTIONAL LITERACY IN REDUCING UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUTHS IN OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF EDO STATE

The study investigated the influence of functional literacy in reducing unemployment among youths in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. In order to achieve the objectives of this study, five research questions were raised. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design. The population of the study consists of youths under-going various functional literacy programmes in both public and private organization in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. A census sampling technique was used to select one hundred and twenty-six (126) youths in Ovia North East Local Government Area. A self- structured questionnaire designed with a modified Likert Scale method made up of four- point rating scale of Strongly Agreed (SA), Agreed (A), Disagreed (D), Strongly Disagree (SD) was the instrument adopted for the study. The instrument was validated by the researcher’s supervisor and other lecturer in the Department of Adult and Continuing Education. The instrument reliability was determined using the Cronbach’s alpha procedure. The correlation of the coef icient of the instrument was found to be o.71. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics which involved frequency count, percentage and mean score analysis was used to answer the research questions. The findings of the study revealed that functional literacy programmes such as digital literacy, vocational training, entrepreneurship skills, agricultural skills are relatively available for unemployed youths in Ovia North East Local Government of Edo State. The findings also revealed that unemployment has negatively impacted the well-being of the majority of the youths. It was also revealed that there is a significant relationship between functional literacy programmes and economic empowerment of youths, as well as between functional literacy and reduction in youths unemployment. Challenges confronting the ef ective delivery of functional literacy programmes targeting youths in Ovia North Local Government Area of Edo State ranged from inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and facilities, inadequate skilled trainers and lack of awareness. Based on the findings, it was recommended that government and agencies should expand the reach of functional literacy programmes to more communities within Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Also, more training centres should be established and adequately equipped to accommodate a large number of unemployed youths.