The Place of Secretarial Education in Tertiary Institutions in Kaduna State, Nigeria, for Future Office 2020

Abstract

A research conducted by the International Association of Administrative professionals reveals that the Future Office 2020 will be characterized with highly advanced office technology and information system that requires expertise and advanced technological skills. The administrative and technological advancement will transform the workplace and will place high premium on technical abilities and interpersonal skills of professional secretaries. Ironically, the more advanced office technology becomes, the more confidential secretaries' interpersonal skills, knowledge and competence are showcased. The paper examined the place of secretarial option of business education programme in tertiary institutions in Kaduna State for future office 2020. Two research questions were raised and two hypotheses were postulated for the study. The descriptive research design of the survey type was used for the study. A self-structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from the respondents. Section A dealt with the bio-data of the respondents while section B dealt with questionnaire items on the availability and usage of mobile-note-taking device and web based conferencing for teaching and learning in the secretarial option of business education programme of tertiary institutions in Kaduna State. The reliability of the instrument was ensured through the test and re-test reliability method and reliability co-efficient of 0.78 was obtained. Data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC). Findings revealed that there was significant relationship between mobile-note taking device and web- conferencing services and secretarial option of business education programme in tertiary institutions in Kaduna State. Based on these findings, the paper concludes that secretarial education has to provide adequately up-to-date knowledge, attitudes, skills and competencies to students in modern office administration, technology and information systems to meet the demands of the ever-advancing office administration, technology and information systems in future office 2020. Among the recommendations made are that the curriculum of secretarial education in tertiary institutions be reviewed to accommodate an in-depth study of information technology using modern office devices and services like mobile note taker, web conferencing service, lap-tops, I phones and I pads which is the vague internationally.