Occupation – SS1 Commerce Lesson Note (First Term)

An occupation is any legal job in which people engage to earn a living.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define occupation.
2. Name the six classes of occupation.
3. Explain each class of occupation and give examples.
4. Distinguish between direct services and indirect services.
5. State the factors that influence the choice of occupation.

What is an occupation?

• Occupation: any legal job in which a person is engaged to earn a living.
• Legal: the work must be allowed by law. Activities such as smuggling and fraud are not occupations.
• Income: a person earns money, goods or other rewards from the work.

Why are occupations important?

• Income: workers earn a living and support their families.
• Goods and services: occupations produce and supply what people need.
• Employment: they give people jobs and reduce idleness.
• National development: workers pay taxes and add to the economy.

What are the classes of occupation?

There are six classes of occupation: extractive, manufacturing, constructive, commercial, direct services and indirect services.

How are the classes linked?

1. Extractive workers supply raw materials such as rubber, cotton, timber and minerals.
2. Manufacturing workers turn these raw materials into goods such as tyres and cloth.
3. Constructive workers use the materials and goods to build houses, roads and bridges.
4. Commercial workers move and sell the goods and provide aids to trade.
5. Service workers support all the other workers and the public.

What is extractive occupation?

Extractive occupation is work concerned with taking natural resources from the soil, the sea or the forest.

• Farming: growing crops and rearing animals, as in yam, cocoa and poultry production.
• Fishing: catching fish from rivers, lagoons and the sea.
• Hunting: catching wild animals for food or sale.
• Lumbering: cutting down trees for timber.
• Mining: digging minerals from under the ground, such as tin and coal.
• Quarrying: cutting stones, granite and sand from the earth’s surface.

What is manufacturing occupation?

Manufacturing occupation is work in which people change the form of raw materials into finished or semi-finished products.

• Finished product: a good ready for the final user, such as a vehicle tyre or a shirt.
• Semi-finished product: a good that needs more work before use, such as yarn made from cotton.
• Raw rubber to tyres: rubber from the extractive industry is made into vehicle tyres.
• Raw cotton to textile: cotton is spun and woven into cloth.

What is constructive occupation?

Constructive occupation is work in which people assemble components from extractive and manufacturing industries into organised, usable structures.

• Building: iron rods, cement, planks, sand and corrugated iron sheets are put together to make a house.
• Workers: bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, welders and civil engineers.
• Other structures: roads, bridges and dams.

What is commercial occupation?

Commercial occupation, also called tertiary occupation, is work that makes goods and services available to the people who need them.

• Trade: the buying and selling of goods.
• Retail trade: selling goods in small quantities to final consumers, as a provision shop does.
• Wholesale trade: selling goods in large quantities to retailers.
• Aids to trade: services that help trade to run smoothly, shown in the table below.

What are direct services and indirect services?

Direct services are personal services paid for by the person served, while indirect services are public services paid for by the government.

What are direct services?

• Meaning: work that gives satisfaction, amusement, entertainment or personal service to others.
• Payment: the person served pays the worker directly.
• Examples: barbers, musicians, doctors, stewards, drivers and actors.

What are indirect services?

• Meaning: work that serves the public as a whole.
• Payment: the government pays the workers.
• Examples: civil servants, policemen, soldiers, customs officers and fire service personnel.

What are the differences between direct and indirect services?

What factors influence the choice of occupation?

The choice of occupation is influenced by personal, social, economic and geographical factors.

1. Education and training: some jobs need certificates or special skills, such as medicine and law.
2. Natural skills and talent: people choose work they do well, such as music or sports.
3. Remuneration: people prefer jobs with good pay and benefits.
4. Government policy: grants, taxes and job schemes can push people towards some occupations.
5. Personal interest: people tend to choose work they enjoy.
6. Nature of the job available: a person can only take jobs that are open to them.
7. Age: some jobs have age limits, and some need strength or experience.
8. Sex: some jobs need physical strength or are linked by custom to men or women.
9. Customs and family background: children may follow a trade passed down in the family.
10. Geographical features: coastal areas favour fishing, and fertile land favours farming.
11. Natural resources endowment: areas rich in minerals or oil offer mining or oil work.
12. Extraneous factors: health, life ambitions and peer pressure.

Evaluation

1. Define occupation.
2. List the six classes of occupation.
3. Explain extractive occupation and give three examples.
4. State the difference between direct services and indirect services.
5. Mention five factors that influence the choice of occupation.

Assignment

1. Explain manufacturing occupation and constructive occupation, with two examples of each. Then list any six factors that influence a person’s choice of occupation.