Enhancing practical skills training at universities call for the need for critical equipment and facilities to be available, adequate, relevant, and well-maintained. Improper maintenance of workshop facilities cripples effective teaching and acquisition of skills. In this regard, this article focuses on the investigation of equipment needed for mechanical engineering institutional workshops, its failures, and its maintenance. Mixed methods were used, including a review of other researchers' work on critical equipment for comprehensive engineering training based on educator and employer perspectives (qualitative). Methods employed included desktop research and physical visits (quantitative method) to carry out observations. Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access were used to compute data and develop a computerized maintenance system to support the maintenance of training equipment and facilities. A priority list of essential facilities and machinery was developed, and maintenance plans were proposed based on a pilot study of two important machine tools the milling and lathe that were utilized in the experimental construction of an automated maintenance management system. As further work, this study can be used to enhance mechanical engineering graduates’ skills and proficiencies so that they are employable and able to contribute positively to solving social and economic challenges.