ABSTRACT
This
study, titled Assessment of Entrepreneurial Programme of Michael Okpara
University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, examines the impact of
entrepreneurship education on vocational skills development among students in
Nigerian universities, specifically in Abia State. The study evaluates
available facilities, adequacy of resources, vocational skill acquisition,
student perceptions, and the role of internships in enhancing competencies,
alongside strategies for improving entrepreneurship education.
The study
employed a multi-stage random sampling procedure to select 180 students who
participated in entrepreneurial development programs from six colleges within
the university. Data were collected through structured questionnaires and
in-depth interviews and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
The
findings revealed that the university provides a range of facilities, including
classrooms, laboratories, and teaching aids, which were deemed generally
adequate for entrepreneurship education. Vocational skills acquired by students
upon graduation included hairdressing, fashion design, photography, computing,
and soap preparation. Respondents expressed a positive perception of the
program, citing its role in fostering creativity, self-reliance, and
preparedness for the job market. Key factors influencing vocational skill
choice included availability of funds, market potential, and the ability to
allocate resources effectively. Internships significantly enhanced students’
competencies, such as creativity, risk-taking, and financial management.
Strategies for improvement included providing a conducive learning environment,
installing educational training programs, and offering interest-free loans to
graduates.
The study
tested two hypotheses. It found significant relationships between vocational
skills acquired and students’ perceptions of entrepreneurial education, as well
as between the adequacy of facilities and skill acquisition. These results
underscore the critical role of well-equipped facilities and supportive
policies in effective entrepreneurship education.
In
conclusion, the study highlighted the potential of entrepreneurial programs to
address youth unemployment and foster economic self-reliance. It recommended
enhancing infrastructure, ensuring stable electricity, and providing updated
laboratory equipment to improve vocational training. By doing so, Nigerian
tertiary institutions can better equip students for entrepreneurial ventures,
contributing to national and global goals of reducing poverty and unemployment.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background Information
1.2. Statement of
Problem
1.3 Research
Questions
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1.5 Hypotheses of the Study
1.6 Justification of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Definition of
Terms
CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Concept/Definitions
of Entrepreneur and Entrepreneurship
2.2 Evolution of
Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
2.3 Recent
Development of Entrepreneurship in Nigeria
2.4 Objectives of
Entrepreneurship Education
2.5 Entrepreneurial
Skills and Competencies
2.6 Establishing an
Entrepreneurial Skills-Set
2.7 Education and
Entrepreneurship Development
2.8 Comparative
Analysis
2.9 Assessment in
Business Education Programme
2.10 Scope of
Entrepreneurial Education in Tertiary Institutions
2.11 Importance of
Entrepreneurship Education in Nigeria
2.12 Strategies for
Effective Entrepreneurship Education
2.13 Challenges of
Entrepreneurship Education in Nigeria
2.14 Causes of Youth
Unemployment
2.15 Vocational/Technical
Education as the Missing Link
2.16 Effect of
Entrepreneurship Education on Job Creation
2.17 Theoretical
Framework
2.17.1 Psychological
and Sociological Theories
2.17.2 Metacognition
Theory
2.18 Conceptual Framework
CHAPTER 3
RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
3.1 Study
Area
3.2 Study
Population
3.3 Sample
and Sampling Procedures
3.4 Data Collection
3.5 Validity of Instrument
3.6 Test Reliability of Instrument
3.7 Data Analysis
3.8 Model
Specification
CHAPTER 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
4.1 Facilities for Entrepreneurial
Practical
4.2 Adequacy of
Facilities for Entrepreneurship Education
4.3 Extent of
Acquiring Vocational Skills Acquired on Graduation
4.4 Perception on
Entrepreneurship Development Programme
4.5 Factors
Influencing Choice of Vocational Skills
4.6 Extent the
Internship Programme Improved Students Competencies On Vocational Skills
4.7 Strategies for
Enhancing Entrepreneurship Education On Vocational Skills Among The Students
4.8 Hypotheses
Testing
CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
5.1 Summary
5.2 Conclusion
5.3 Recommendations
References
Appendix: Research Questionnaire
LIST OF TABLES
Table 4.1: Distribution
of respondents based on the facilities for entrepreneurial practical in the
study area.
Table 4.2 Adequacy
of the facilities for entrepreneurship education in the study area.
Table 4.3: Distribution
of respondents based on the extent of acquiring vocational skills on graduation
in the study area.
Table 4.4: Distribution
of students based on students perception on entrepreneurship development
programme in the study area.
Table 4.5: Distribution
of respondents based on factors influencing choice of vocation skills on
graduation.
Table 4.6 Distribution of respondent based on the extent the internship
programme have improved students competencies on vocational skills in the study
area.
Table 4.7: Distribution
of the respondents based on strategies for enhancing entrepreneurial education
in the study area.
Table 4.8: The regression
estimate of the relationship between vocational skills acquired by the
respondents and their perception on the entrepreneurship education programmes
in the study area
Table 4.9: Simple
linear regression estimate of the effect of adequate entrepreneurship
facilities on vocational skills acquired by the students in the study area.
LIST OF FIGURE
Fig.
2.1: Conceptual
Framework on Assessment of Entrepreneurial Programme ans
Vocational Skills Development of Students (Adapted from
Schnurr and Newings
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The Nigerian government seems to
have woken up to the reality that the country needs to break away from the
vicious cycle of poverty, infrastructure neglect, corruption and other social
vices. The reason being that, after many years of achieving independence, yet,
has not attained her optimum level of development. According to Kolawole and
Omolayo (2016), many individuals have difficulties in translating their
business ideas in realities and creating new business ventures because of lack
of necessary information and skills needed to achieve their targets. To them,
the University curriculum was in the past oriented towards making graduate
suitable only for white-collar jobs.
A university as a segment of the knowledge production industry
in a nation is concerned with the highest level of education (Uzoma and Okoye,
2015). The knowledge produced, disseminated and acquired in the universities
are at its highest level. Universities are therefore formal institutions set up
by the society as centers for the highest level of learning where rich ideas
are imparted. As such, Oluwamuyiwa, Oyefunke, and Akintola (2019) views
Universities as ivory towers where instructions are given and received without
harassment and undue influence from the outside world. Universities are
supposed to be committed to promoting societies cooperate well-being and
advancement by redefining the abilities of its members to explain the
development and functions of a man as part of the natural world, through research.
From the foregoing, universities are expected to produce
highly skilled and proficient individuals who constitute the human resources as
a basis for national development because it is the quality of human resources
that determines the level of development in a nation like Nigeria. Nigerian
university curricula for decades failed to provide for functional skills and
competencies that would enable the recipients to be self-sustaining and
independent outside white collar jobs. Entrepreneurship skills, creative
skills, technical and mechanical skills and competencies are often lacking.
Yusuf (2000) therefore observed that most Nigerians are being educated out of
context. Concurring, Inegbengor (2015) points out that universities have paid
little attention to the changing labour market conditions in spite of prompting
by public officials. According to Emeh (2012), 80% of Nigerian youths’ population
are unemployed while about 10% are under employed. Bolaji
and Nwankpa (2012) pointed out that jobs are available but the youths
lack functional skills and competencies to make them employable in the field.
Nigerian universities operate strictly theoretically,
abstract professionally oriented studies and skills. Consequently, students who
have been able to make a difference in a world of work and self-employment with
their creativity and innovativeness remain unemployed in the labour market. Entrepreneurship
development through education has been receiving attention globally. Entrepreneurship is the cornerstone and at
the heart of the free enterprise economy (Popoola, 2014). It has been recognized as an important aspect
of organization and economics because it contributes in an immeasurable way
towards creating new jobs, wealth creation, poverty reduction and income generation
for both government and individuals.
Entrepreneurship is an activity that involves the discovery, evaluation
and exploitation of opportunities to introduce new goods and services, ways of
organizing, markets, processes and raw material through organizing efforts that
previously had not existed (Onuekwusi, Onu and Nnaji, 2017a).
Entrepreneurship education seeks to
prepare people especially youths, to be responsible, enterprising individuals
who become entrepreneurs or entrepreneurial thinkers who contribute to economic
development and sustainable communities. Moses and Mosunmola (2014) in their
studies defined entrepreneurship education as the purposeful intervention by
educators in the life of the learner to survive in the world of business: it equips
students with the additional knowledge attributes and capabilities required to
apply these abilities in the context of setting up a new venture or business
they concluded. Baron (2014) also defined entrepreneurship education as the
development of entrepreneurial skills, efficient and effective application of
the skills in the management of business to create a significant differences
from other businesses, recognizing the skills and allowing it to function
effectively.
Vocational education or technical education is
a term used to comprehensively refer to the educational process which involves
the study of technologies and related science skills and knowledge relating to
occupations and social life (Igwe, Onjewu, and Nwibo, 2018). The concept of
vocational education aims at equipping individuals to use their heads and hands
in order to survive in a world that is essentially work oriented. The
philosophy of technical and vocational education is basically to enhance human
dignity and enthrone work and labour by making individuals acquire and/or
develop enough saleable and employable skills, competencies, attitude as well
as knowledge to enable them gain and maintain basic employment or self-reliance
for a comfortable living.
Entrepreneurial education is the
development of entrepreneurial skills, effective and efficient application of
the skills in management of business to create a significant difference from
other business, recognizing the skill and allowing it to function effectively. The success of entrepreneur in business
depends on many factors including training and education. Alberti, Sciascia and
Poli (2014) defined entrepreneurship education as “the structured formal
conveyance of entrepreneurship competencies which in turn refers to the concepts,
skills and mental awareness used by individuals during the process of starting
and developing their growth oriented ventures.
Entrepreneurship education and training entails philosophy
of self-reliance such as creating a new cultural and productive environment,
promoting new sets of attitudes and culture for the attainment of future
challenges (Arogundade, 2011).
Entrepreneurship education is a life-long learning process and consist
of five stages namely- basic competency awareness, creative application, start-up
and growth. Entrepreneurship education should not be confused with general
business or economic studies, as its goal is to promote creativity, innovation
and self-employment (Ewumi et al,
2012; Umar, 2010).
Vocational education has been described by different
auspices. Oluwamuyiwa et al (2019)
states that vocational education is a kind of education that is geared towards
the production of the educated men who can effectively work with his head,
heart and hands. Onuekwusi, Onu and Nnaji, (2017b) sees vocational educational
as a kind of education or training that equips the learner with saleable or
entrepreneurial skills, while Ginzberg (2011) also opines that vocational
training is a type of education which has to do with productive work. Assessing
the term vocational educational from the view point of these authors, it can be
deduced that this type of education equips the beneficiary with saleable,
entrepreneurial and vocational skills that would save them all the frustration
of searching for non-existing white-collar jobs. The benefits of vocational
education are many. Charney and Libecap (2014) reported that vocational
education attracts substantial private sector financial contributions, produces
self- sufficient enterprising individuals, produces successful business and
industry leaders, enhances a graduate’s ability to create wealth, produces
champions of innovation, and leads to greater opportunities with advancing
technologies. Obisanya (2010) describes vocational education as an essential ingredient
in re-orienting the mindset of Nigerian students towards self- employment or
job creation. Decening (2008) identifies four minds for vocational future,
which are the opportunity recognizing mind, the designing mind, the risk
managing mind and the resilient mind. The students’ mind set could influence
the outcome of the vocational education. Watson (2010) views entrepreneurship
education to be more than starting a business. He defines entrepreneurship as
process through which individuals identify opportunities, allocate resources,
and create values.
The federal government in its documents “Nigerian youth
employment action plan, 2009-2011”, states that of the 6 million Nigerian
youths graduating annually from the education system, only about 10% are often
employed leaving about 4.5 million unemployed. The government further stated
that the need for developing entrepreneurs in Nigeria faces the challenge of
inadequate conceptualization and depth. Most of the initiatives for developing
and training entrepreneurs are essentially sensitization programmes that last
for a few days or weeks. The country lacks rigorous institutional approach to
entrepreneurship development. Thus entrepreneurship development needs to be
introduced throughout schools and training systems and the role of universities
and other tertiary institutions is critical. This is so because the importance
of higher education is central to increasingly knowledge based technologically
driven economy of develop countries (Olokiti, 2012).
The federal government in realization of the need to boost
employment through the encouragement of micro enterprise has in the last twenty
years worked hard to facilitate the development of a broader based indigenous
entrepreneurial culture for the country and add value to domestic production.
They also recognized the importance of entrepreneurship as one of the basic
skills to be provided through long life learning, added to the low
employability rating of Nigerian graduates who indeed have not been trained for
self- employment. The FGN in order to enhance the employability of Nigerian
youths, developed a more labour market relevant curriculum. This was done in
view of the obvious need to update the standard relevance of higher education
in the country, which with guarantee that all graduates from the system are
equipped with appropriate skills, competencies and disposition that will make
them globally competitive and capable of contributing meaningfully to Nigerian
socio-economic development (Okojie, 2012).
On the basis of the
above statement, a presidential directive in 2006 was delivered through the
Federal Ministry of Education and this made entrepreneurship education
compulsory for all higher education institutions in Nigeria with effect from
the 2007/2008 academic session. In 2006, the government of Nigeria announced
the introduction of entrepreneurship education as an entrepreneurship studies,
to be integrated in the higher education Curriculum as a compulsory course for
students of specialization (Bassey, et.al, 2014). Effectively, the implementation
started in the 2007/2008 academic session. In pursuance of the full implementation
of entrepreneurship education, most of Tertiary Institutions established a Coordinating
Centre for entrepreneurship education to support students’ training. The
Nigeria University Commission (NUC) was given presidential directives by the
Ministry of Education to supervise and coordinate the programme of introducing
entrepreneurship education into Nigerian institutions of higher learning (Amadi
& Amakodi, 2019). The National Universities Commission (NUC), is the
vehicle through which the directive was carried out in turn directed each
university to introduce the programme as a general study course.
Entrepreneurship education according to Mbiewa (2011) include to:
•
Provide graduates with necessary
skills that will make them to be creative.
•
Enough training skills that will
enable them meet manpower needs of the society
•
Enough skills in risk management due
to uncertainties in business environment
•
Stimulate industrial and economic
growth of rural areas
•
Reduce high rate of unemployment
•
Reduce rural-urban migration
•
Establish a career in small and
medium scale business.
A close look at the objectives of entrepreneurship education
as presented above shows that they are all encompassing and its curricular
content expected to be infused into the core courses the students undertake in
the course of their programme of studies.
In a bid to encourage students to
learn trade and develop skills, the Central Bank of Nigeria built an
entrepreneurial center at MOUAU. The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development
(CED) which was established in the institution in October 2011 in compliance
with the directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and National
Universities Commission (NUC) provides comprehensive and highly accessible
quality entrepreneurship education and training in Nigeria. Nigerian
universities are structured to teach both theory and vocational skills, and
this situation has benefited vocational skill training in MOUAU.
CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele
emphasized that the project being part of the corporate and social
responsibility of CBN was designed to develop skills for small and medium scale
enterprises (SMSE). Therefore, the director of center of entrepreneurship,
MOUAU, Prof. Oji Onu Ekumankama, has conducted the necessary directives in the
actualization of the goals and objectives of CED whose mission is to provide
facilities and expertise that would propel the growth and development of SME’s
through sustainable quality, effective and dynamic entrepreneurial coaching and
assistance.
1.2. STATEMENT
OF PROBLEM
In recent years, the government,
parents as well as the general public have expressed considerable anxiety over
graduate unemployment situation in Nigeria. Though some blame it on the
performance of graduates of higher educational institutions in the labour
market, others stressed that many Nigerian graduates are not employable in the
outside world (De Gobbi, 2014)). They have little or no business development
awareness and relevant skills to establish small scale businesses that will
enable them earn livelihoods. Osahor (2013) in describing the Nigerian
education system opined that the current state of affairs in Nigeria reveals that
we are in the 21st century economy with 19th century
educational system. A system whereby much emphasis is still placed on the
conventional classroom environment with much relevance on certificate for
graduates who in most cases are trained to be job seekers as evidenced in
present high unemployment rate in the land.
Otokiti (2012) stated that since
independence, the country has failed to link education with enterprise
development with repeated emphasis on self-employment in all her planning
effect but with nothing to show for it. Therefore, the quest for self- reliance
in trade, industrial and technological growth and development boils down to the
need for skilled personnel who shrewdly utilizes copious resources in Nigeria.
In the face of rising graduates
unemployment and youth restiveness, it is necessary that the tertiary
institutions in Nigeria and other developing nations should be redirected
towards achieving national and global quest for reducing joblessness, poverty
through empowering them to become entrepreneurs. Skills acquisition is a means
of providing oneself with more for himself and family opportunity for
acceptable livelihood.
In a bid to encourage students to
learn trade and develop skills, the Central Bank of Nigeria built an entrepreneurial
center at MOUAU. The Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED) which was
established in the institution in October 2011 in compliance with the directive
of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and National Universities Commission
(NUC) provides comprehensive and highly accessible quality entrepreneurship
education and training in Nigeria. Nigerian universities are structured to
teach both theory and vocational skills, and this situation has benefited
vocational skill training in MOUAU. However, there is a dearth of data on the
extent to which the entrepreneurship education programme have improved
vocational skills of students in Universities in Abia State. Therefore the work
sought to assess entrepreneurial education programme and vocational skills of
students in Universities in Abia State.
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
i.What
are the available facilities for entrepreneurial practical in the study area?
ii.How adequate
are the facilities for entrepreneurship education programme?
iii.What is the
extent of acquiring vocational skills on graduation?
iv.
What is the perception of
respondents on entrepreneurship development programme?
v.What are
factors influencing choice of vocational skills of the respondents?
vi.
What is the extent internship
programme improved students’ competencies on vocational skills? and
vii.
What are the strategies for
enhancing entrepreneurial education on vocational skills among students in the
study area?
1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to assess the effect of
entrepreneurial programme on vocational skills development among students in
Nigerian universities in Abia State.
The specific objectives of the study were to:
i.
identify the available facilities
for entrepreneurial practical in the study area;
ii.
ascertain the adequacy of facilities
for entrepreneurship education programme;
iii.
examined the extent of acquiring
vocational skills on graduation;
iv.
examine the perception of
respondents on entrepreneurship development programme;
v.
identify factors influencing choice
of vocational skills of the respondents;
vi.
ascertain the extent internship
programme improved students competencies on vocational skills; and
vii.
ascertain strategies for enhancing
entrepreneurial education on vocational skills among students in the study
area.
1.5 HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The following null hypotheses were used to guide the study:
H01:
There is no significant relationship between the vocational
skills acquired by students and their perception on entrepreneurial education
programme.
H02:
Adequacy of entrepreneurial facilities have no significant
effect on vocational skills acquired by the students in the study area.
1.6 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY
This study is necessary because a relatively large
proportion of graduates are unemployed. Universities are expected to produce
highly skilled and proficient individuals who constitute the human resources as
a basis for national development because it is the quality of human resources
that determines the level of development in a nation. The potential
contributions of entrepreneurs to nation building cannot be over emphasized.
Looking at entrepreneurship in terms of local resource utilization, it deserves
attention for the benefit of the nation’s economic survival.
Therefore, this study would attempt to have concrete data
that would enable students, teachers, educational managers, policy makers and
other stakeholders in education with a better understanding of entrepreneurial
programmes in Nigerian universities toward the development of vocational and
managerial skills for wealth creation and national development.
The study would set to determine the extent to which the
objectives of entrepreneurship programme organized by Nigerian universities are
so far being achieved. It would also intend to assist the Nigerian universities
in mapping out strategies to improve the standard and quality of the current
university curriculum, also its capability and limitations in the area of
entrepreneurship programme. The study would also highlight the gap between the
theory and the skills with technical and professional training that is missing
in the university curriculum.
Furthermore, the
study would tend to examine the potential impact of entrepreneurial programme
in developing the vocational and managerial skills of students. The result will
also be helpful to students in making the right decisions regarding their
involvement in any profitable venture. Therefore, it will prepare students to
be self-employed, employers of labour, equips them to take risks in job
creation, enables them to face challenge and become creative entrepreneurs.
The study would also inform the government on the
significance of instituting small and macro enterprises in universities which
would facilitate the establishment of entrepreneurial studies. It would be
relevant to stakeholders, government and non-governmental organisations to
provide the basis for entrepreneurial training for students in Nigerian
universities.
Finally, the study would be valuable to academics and policy
makers to ensure that entrepreneurial development programmes and policies
should include development of the entrepreneurial capacity of students with a
view to increase their productivity and employability status. The research
would also be a valuable reference material for the entrepreneur who may want
to learn more on the operation of business. It would also prepare grounds for
further researches to be carried out on the topic.
1.7 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study was designed.to cover MOUAU to assess entrepreneurship
programme on vocational skill development of the students.
1.8 DEFINITION OF TERMS
Entrepreneurship:
is the ability to initiate and drive a business vision. It can also be defined
as the involvement of an individual or a group of individuals in innovation,
risk-bearing and organization, for the purpose of establishing a venture,
managing it to fruition and reaping the resultant benefits.
Entrepreneur:
is a person(s) who possesses the ability to recognize and
evaluate business opportunities, assemble the necessary resources to take
advantage of them and take appropriate action to ensure success.
Entrepreneurship
Education: is the development of entrepreneurial skills, effective and
efficient application of the skills in management of business to create a
significant difference from other business, recognizing the skill and allowing
it to function effectively.
Vocational Education: is
the kind of education that equips the beneficiary with saleable skills that
would save the person from the frustration of looking for white collar jobs.
Students: a
person who is studying at a university or other place of higher education.
Employment: is
a relationship between two parties, usually based on a contract where work is
paid for, where one party which may be a corporation/organization or
co-operative is the employer and the other is the employee.
Unemployment:
A situation where individuals of working age who desire for
a full-time employment and actively seeking a job but are not able to get a job.
Job Creation:
is the process by which the number of jobs in an area,
organization, etc. is increased.
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