JOURNAL OF EDUCATION (EKSUJOE)

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND PROFESSIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF SECRETARIES IN VIRTUAL AND HYBRID WORKPLACE: IMPLICATIONS FOR VOCATIONAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The rapid adoption of virtual and hybrid work environments has transformed the competencies required of professional secretaries. This study examined the impact of digital technology on professional effectiveness in selected tertiary institutions in Delta State, Nigeria. Anchored in competency-based education theory and digital workplace theory, the study employed a descriptive-survey design, with 228 professional secretaries in tertiary institutions in Delta State. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis. Findings revealed that digital collaboration skills, office technology competence, and virtual communication competence significantly predicted professional effectiveness, collectively explaining 76.8% of the variance. Digital collaboration skills emerged as the strongest predictor of effectiveness. The study concludes that vocational education programs must integrate digital competencies to prepare secretaries for the demands of modern workplaces. Recommendations include curriculum redesign, continuous professional development, and adoption of technology-enabled work environments. The study contributes to knowledge by empirically validating the link between competency-based secretarial training and performance in digital work settings