The challenge of skilled workforce shortage is one of the most critical threats to the economic health of many nations around the globe. Skilled labour shortage affects various aspects of construction projects and impact on time, cost and quality of work. Consequently, this may jeopardise the achievement of economic benefits for which such projects are conceived. Nigeria as a country undergoing economic reform needs a productive, competent, and flexible workforce to further her economic development. However, shortage of skilled workforce, not just in terms of quantity but also of quality is the most pressing issue in the nation's construction sector; and is already having serious implications for both businesses and the economy generally. This study aims at examining the problems confronting the vocational education and training of selected skill occupations with the view to determining possible solutions to the current problem. The selected trades for the study are limited to wet trades such as masonry and concrete work. The sample population includes Professional Builders, selected relevant practising skilled operatives, technical/vocational school trainers and trainees. The research methodological approach will embrace both quantitative and qualitative methods and data will be collected from selected states within Nigeria, and in the UK for the purpose of obtaining overview of how developed nations are coping with the same phenomenon and how the UK approaches could be applied to the Nigerian's situation. The findings will provide the tool for developing a workable 'best practice framework' for the vocational education and training of trade operatives working in the nation's construction industry. The research is part of an on-going PhD programme aimed at finding practical solutions to the construction industry's skill shortages in Nigerian; Africa's most populous nation. This paper is being presented at this stage of the research as a theoretical piece prior to data collection.
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