CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOUR AMONG OUT-OF-SCHOOL YOUTH: EVIDENCE FROM APPRENTICES IN FARIN-GADA COMMUNITY, JOS NORTH LGA PLATEAU STATE NIGERIA.

Abstract

This study examined citizenship behaviour among out-of-school youth apprentices in Farin-Gada Community, Jos North Local Government Area, Plateau State, Nigeria. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 218 apprentices across various trades, including mechanics, panel beating, carpentry, tailoring, and welding. The Citizenship Behaviour Survey among Youth Apprentices (CBSYA) was employed to measure civic awareness, understanding of rights and responsibilities, and citizenship behaviour. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise demographic characteristics, while Spearman‘s Rank-Order Correlation tested the relationships between variables. Findings indicate that most apprentices were young adults (20 - 24 years), predominantly male, and had moderate apprenticeship experience of 1–3 years. Correlation analyses revealed very weak and non-significant relationships between civic awareness and citizenship behaviour (r = 0.033, p = 0.625), and between understanding of rights and citizenship behaviour (r = −0.074, p = 0.276). These results suggest that while apprentices may acquire civic knowledge and awareness of rights, these do not necessarily translate into observable civic actions. The study concludes that apprenticeship systems provide valuable vocational and social experiences but lack structured civic instruction, highlighting the need for interventions that integrate citizenship education into informal learning environments to foster active, responsible, and community-oriented behaviour among out-of-school youth.