CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

          In general, the success of an organization depends on the ability and expertise of those who operate it both at the managerial and lower levels operation, such abilities and expertise usually stems from the knowledge they posses and training received. According to Harbison, F. H. (2003), human being constitutes the ultimate basis of a nation’s wealth. This proposition applies to the organization, which implies that with daily increase and complexity in the organizational activities and the problem ensuring optimum productivity which is fast becoming a challenge as well as imperative for the management of organization, thus, training and development of staff on whom the here responsibility of furthering these goals rest, must take top priority if the organization must continue to enjoy maximum performance from the staff.

1.1     Introduction

          Employee training and development are at the heart of employee utilization, productivity, commitment, motivation and growth. Many employees have failed in organizations because their need for training was not identified and provided for as an indispensable part of management function. In this chapter a distinction is made between training and productivity. Training is organizational effort aimed at helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the efficient execution of the activities functions for which he is hired. Employee productivity is a function of ability will and situational factors. An organization may have and situational factors. An organization may have employees of ability and determination, with appropriate equipment and managerial support yet productivity falls below expected standards. The missing factor in many cases is the lack of adequate skills and knowledge which are acquired through training and development. Development deals with the activities undertaken to expose an employee to perform additional duties and assume position of importance in the organizational hierarchy.

1.2     Historical Background

          Akwa Ibom Transport Corporation was established in 1988 after the creation into the state coupled with the shortage of accommodation which of Akwa Ibom State in (1987). The influence of civil servants compelled them to live outside the heart of the town or suburb of Uyo made it necessary for government to look for a way of conveying civil servants to and from work, hence, the establishment of Akwa Ibom State transport company; Akwa Ibom State transport company an off short of federal urban mass transport programmes (FUMTP) came into being precisely in February, 1988 with a fleet size of 45 vehicles acquired solely by the state government headed by Governor Tunde Ogbeha.

          But before the end of 1989 the fleet size was increased to 69 vehicles since then, one size has been continually replenished reinvigorated by the government until late 90’when the cooperation metamorphosed into a limited liability company. The government gradually withdrew its subvention grant to the cooperation. Before now, the staffs of the cooperation were mainly civil grade to start off the business. When the outfit was established policies were made through government bureaucracy, the parent ministry informed the cooperation what had to be done. When it became their function is mainly that of policy formulation. The formulate policies and guideline for the smooth operation of the enterprise while policy implementation and day to day running of the business is left in the hand of the general manager.

1.3     Statement of the Problem

          There are challenges problem in the field of human resources (manpower) is considered the most critical to any organizational survival of a truism that adequate supply of material and financial resources that utilizes these available resources to bring about the desired goals. The very few organizations that gives thought to this very important aspect of staffing functions do so with lack of seriousness, all round attention and continuity.

          The programmes are carried out not only once in a blue moon but are also lopsided in terms of content and staff participation. As a result of this, lackadaisical attitude of management towards training and manpower development. They had been a progressive decline in the ability of manpower to cope with the challenges that attend the over unfolding new dispensation in the industry in the circumstance, what the researcher find is that the rise in industrial output is inconsequential in spite of the enormous wave of modern technology that now exist in industrial activities. It is the opinion of industry observes that the poor performance of the organization workers follows from their inability to keep abreast with the new technological current as a result of the absence of appropriate and sufficient staff training.