Comparative Study of Construction Industry s Apprenticeship Practices in Pakistan and Nigeria

The study compared and analyzed apprenticeship practices in Pakistani and Nigerian construction industry with a view to proposing practical measures which will improve Apprenticeship Training (AT) policy, and facilitate participation by all stakeholders. Descriptive Statistics was employed to analyze the data. The study showed that AT scheme is a widely recognized means of skills acquisition in construction industries in the two countries. In Pakistan, firms having 50 workers and above are mandated to operate AT scheme, although no such law exists in Nigeria despite that 83.7% of the surveyed firms in Nigeria operate AT schemes. Differences in the countries’ practices were identified in the areas of mode of funding, and certification of competence. In Both countries companies bear the full cost of AT, however firms in Pakistan receive tax rebate benefits for operating AT scheme while (91.9%) of the respondents in Nigeria confirmed that such fiscal benefit is not available to firms that run AT scheme. Also, Pakistan has a uniformly rated compulsory certificate for AT across the industry as different from Nigeria. The paper recommended that government should enact laws to regulate apprenticeship training in Nigerian construction industry for uniformity of practice and better commitment by all stakeholders in order to achieve better training outcome.