Inquiry-based learning has gained prominence as an effective pedagogical approach for developing practical competencies in physics education, particularly within industrial technology programmes aimed at fostering work and life skills. This study investigated the effect of inquiry-based learning strategies in physics education for industrial technology on the development of work and life skills among secondary school students. A quasi-experimental pretest-post test control-group research design was adopted. The study was conducted in Otukpo, Benue State. The target population comprised all physics students in government technical colleges in the area, from which a sample of 160 secondary school students was selected from Government Technical College, Otukpo, using multi-stage sampling techniques. Data were collected using a validated Work and Life Skills Inventory (WLSI) and a Physics Achievement Test (PAT). The instruments were validated through expert review by specialists in physics education, industrial technology, and measurement and evaluation. Reliability coefficients of 0.82 and 0.79 were obtained for the WLSI and PAT respectively using Cronbach’s alpha. Students in the experimental group were exposed to inquiry-based learning strategies involving guided investigations, problem-solving tasks, and collaborative experiments in physics concepts relevant to industrial technology, while the control group received conventional instruction. Data were analysed using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) at the 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that students taught with inquiry-based learning strategies achieved significantly higher mean scores in both work and life skills and physics achievement than those taught with the traditional method. The study concluded that inquiry-based learning strategies in physics education effectively enhance work and life skills among secondary school students in industrial technology programmes. It is recommended that physics teachers in technical colleges adopt inquiry-based instructional approaches and that curriculum planners integrate structured inquiry activities into the industrial technology physics curriculum to better prepare students for the world of work and lifelong learning. Keywords: Inquiry-based learning, physics education, industrial technology, work and life skills, secondary school students