The knowledge and capabilities acquired through education are usually not focused or targeted at enabling the recipient to do or carry out a specific job after completion of his studies. Education equips the recipient only with the potential to do all, several or some jobs in the subject area. Training aims at giving the recipient the competencies required to do a job or carry out a function in the present. It is the process of transferring knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes (KSAAs) required to do a specific job or carry out a specific function from one person to another or to a group of persons.Although literacy can be advantage, it is not essential to training; hence the process of training can be encapsulated in the four steps of “show, tell, do and check” (Allen in Craig, 1987).
The KSAAs acquired through training are focused at enabling the recipient or trainee to do or carry out a specific job or function after the completion of the training programme. Training equips the recipient with the capability to do or carry out a specific task, job or function.The distinctions between Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Education on the one hand, and Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) Training, on the other hand, are summarized in Table 1 (Mafe, 2004a) TABLE 1: Distinctions between SET Education and SET Training Science/Engineering/Technology Education Science/Engineering/Technology Training *Conceptual: learning of ideas and information *Practical: hands-on application of information *Generic: acquisition of base knowledge and information in the subject area *Specific: application of knowledge and information (show, tell, do and check) to a defined job. Long-range and strategic *Short-range and tactical *Career-focused *Job- or Task-focused *Equips recipients with knowledge, capabilities and potentials to do all, several or some jobs in subject area *Recipients acquire knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes (KSAAs) to carry out specific tasks, jobs or functions *Know-How (Understanding) *Do-How (Competencies *Formal Setting *Largely Informal Setting *Literacy Essential *Literacy not essential but advantageous *Limited Opportunities for Practice *Enhanced Opportunities for Practice *Limited Acquisition of Experience *Enhanced Acquisition of Experience Education vs.Training (Development) Education involves giving systematic instruction to students in a formal setting such as schools, colleges or universities. Education is the process of learning or the process of acquiring knowledge and information.
It facilitates understanding of information by the recipient. The recipient of education acquires knowledge and capabilities in a specific area of human endeavor or civilization. The process of education invariably requires that the recipient be literate while at the end of the propramme he/she may remain largely unskilled in the particular subject area since skill comes with practice and experience.