Entrepreneurial Skill Acquisition as a Facilitator of Self-Employability among Nigerian Youths

Objective of this research is to present argument in favor of the concept of entrepreneurial skill acquisition as a panacea for unemployment among youths in Nigeria. Based on a conceptual analysis, the study examines strategic industries in which youths should focus efforts in, in developing innovative skills that can stimulate self-employment, create jobs and enhance economic growth and development. The outcome from this research will guide efforts of youths and government towards strategic areas that can promote entrepreneurial practices in Nigeria. The implication of the research to Nigerian youth showed that there are presently strategic industrial sector in Nigeria that contribute to the GDP asides the Oil Sector. The researcher recommended among other things that   facilitators of entrepreneurial skill training and workshop program, must ensure that skill being taught to the youth match the requirements of the strategic industries in Nigeria

Transforming self-perceived self-employability and entrepreneurship among mothers through mobile digital sharing economy platforms: An exploratory case study

Purpose This research focuses on the extent sharing economy transforms employability for women impacted by domestic and reproductive work. The authors explore the experience of mothers, of how digital peer-to-peer (P2P) platforms can affect their self-perceived employability and skills deterioration by unlocking human capital through technology acceptance. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a pragmatism-based approach incorporating using a single-case study research design with the Gioia methodology. It utilised a semi-structured telephone survey to collect data to explore the decisions around usage of a newly developed mobile P2P app, aiming to support employability among mothers. Analysis was conducted inductively using thematic analysis and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings The study finds that mothers experience high rates of continued labour market attachment on a casual or part-time basis, difficulty in juggling family and work, and high levels of concern both about future employment/entrepreneurial opportunities and expected stress in balancing dual roles of carer and earner. While mothers are interested in using new sharing economy technologies to reduce skills deterioration and improve signalling, the authors find that there were both technology and non-technology related barriers. These included trust and security, life-stage mismatch, time poverty and limitation of service offerings. Research limitations/implications This research was limited to mothers in one state in Australia and by the case study research design, the measurement model and the self-report nature of the data collection. Hence, the findings may lack generalisability in other contexts. It also limits the ability to make conclusions regarding causality. Originality/value This exploratory study contributes to research in the intersection between human resources (HR) and entrepreneurship by illustrating how sharing economy platforms can offer women a means to overcome the issues of signalling and skills deterioration in relation to aspects of human capital theory by developing new skills that may act as positive signals signal to potential employers or investors. Additionally, the social interactions between mothers, through technology adoption, can provide a basis for improving future self-employment or entrepreneurship and employability

Adult Education as an Agent for Socio-economic Change in Tanzania: Evidence from Institute of Adult Education Graduates

One of the most essential pillars of community development is education. A community with access to quality education can advance academically, economically, and socially. In this sense, adult education among learners is crucial to meet this requirement of improving the community's well-being. This paper investigated the role of adult education in socioeconomic change among graduates. The participants involved graduate students from the Institute of Adult Education. Data were collected through interviews. The results show that adult education improved self-employability among graduates, adult education improved the standard of living, adult education improved production capacities, adult education enabled graduates to get basic needs, and adult education helped to discard bad cultural practices in society. Therefore, this study recommends that to ensure socioeconomic transformation, efforts must be made to raise awareness or consciousness for students to enroll in such classes. Keywords: Adult, Adult Education, social-economic, Community’s transformation, Tanzania DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-21-09 Publication date:July 31st 202

ICT Awareness and Skills for women empowerment and entrepreneurship among rural women: a Study on the state of Tamil Nadu

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP- 1965) define Information and Communication Technologies [ICTs] are basically information-handling tools – a varied set of goods, applications and services that are used to create, store up, practice, issue and exchange information. The set include the old ICTs such as radio, television and telephone, and then new ICTs of computers, satellite and wireless technology and the Internet. These different tools are now able to work together, and combine to form our networked world. An enormous infrastructure of inter-connected telephone services standardized computing hardware, the internet, radio and television, which reaches into every corner of the globe”. at the present time, both traditional and modern ICTs are accessed and used for Various information needs of the people. Self employability and employability through ICT for rural women can enable by developing skills in the ICT areas are Use of online Transactions, Use of consumer and professional websites and apps, Use of Office Management software and Desktop Publishing Tools, Use of Storage Devices Tools, Use of Website Creation Tools, Leadership and Motivational Skills and Entrepreneurial and Employability Skills were highlighted to the surveyed rural women, the level of awareness, skills used to employability and personality level have been assesses in this stud

Evaluation of Entrepreneurship Skills Development In Students Of Vocational And Technical Education Programmes In Colleges of Education In Kogi State, Nigeria

The study investigated the entrepreneurship skills needed and the strategies for improving its acquisition in students of vocational and technical education in colleges of education in Kogi State. The population for the study comprised of ninety nine (99) vocational and technical educators which at the same time formed the sample of the study. Data were collected from the respondents with use of a 30-item structured questionnaire drafted by the researcher. The data collected were analysed with the use of mean and standard deviation while t-test was used to test the two null hypotheses formulated at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that entrepreneurship skills like creativity, innovativeness, practicals, communication, administrative and others were identified to be needed by students of vocational and technical education for self employability. Useful recommendations like provision of good learning environment, sending lecturers and instructors on in-service training, conferences, seminars and workshops, making teaching and learning practical oriented among others as ways of facilitating entrepreneurship skills acquisition and development were proffered. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, skills, development, globalization, evaluation

How self-perceived employability impacts the time spent as a conscripted solider in the Republic of Korea Army

학위논문 (석사) -- 서울대학교 대학원 : 행정대학원 정책학과, 2020. 8. 금현섭.The issue of employment is of great concern to the youths of Republic of Korea. To such a degree that they postpone graduation from university to buy time for employment preparation. This relationship between perceived employability and time. However, due to the special circumstances of Korea being a country still technically at war with its neighboring nation, an added pressure of having to go into conscripted service is placed upon not only the idea of time, but also employability. Thus, this paper attempts to understand, whether there actually exists a relationship between employability and time, how the army factor impacts ones perceived employability; and finally how progressing through the ranks within the army impacts a soldiers valuation of time. The army factor is made more important considering that the ROK Army itself has been leveraging employability as a tool to transform its image. In understanding the composition of perceived employability, 6 subcomponents were identified – perception of the army, skills attained from the army, state of the job market, self-belief, ambition and commitment to the army. These subcomponents were found via various literature review, with the army elements adapted, as to account for the unique nature of the army. A regression analysis was conducted to see how each of the subcomponents impacted perceived employability. Moreover, valuation of time was measured using a willingness to accept survey, and a subjective discount rate survey. The willingness to accept survey asked the respondents who much extra wage they would have to be offered in order for them to extend their service by 6 months, with all other factors associated with their army service staying constant (no promotion, change in station etc). The subjective discount rate, on the other hand, asked the respondents how much extra they hoped to receive, if a receipt of payment of a specified amount had to be delayed by 1 week, 3 months or a year. A a series of multiple regression analyses between employability, rank (time left until discharge), and the control variables upon the independent variables of the willingness to accept amount and the subjective discount rate were conducted to examine the relationships. This study focused only on those who were conscripted. Thus, the study was aimed at enlisted soldiers and short-term conscripted officers. The survey was approved by the Army headquarters to be distributed beginning April 25th, and was collected on May 5th. Of all the survey data, only 253 were usable. Of the 252, 188 were enlisted soldiers and the rest were responses from conscripted short-term officers. The results showed that the mean perceived employability for enlisted soldiers were 3.26, whilst the mean for short-term conscripted officers it was 3.40. For the enlisted, in terms of the composition of employability, the subcomponent of employability that exhibited statistical significance with perceive employability were perception of the job market, commitment to the army and ambition. Moreover, perceived employability and rank both had statistically significant effect upon the valuation of time, although only via the willingness to accept measures. No statistical significance were found between the two independent variables and the subjective discount rates. The relationship between perceived employability and rank, accounting for the control variables, were as follows; the coefficient of the employability variable was 27.4 (p <0.05), while the coefficient for rank was 44.17 (p<0.05). The results for short-term conscription officers differed quite significantly to that of the enlisted soldiers. The sub-components of employability with statistical significance to perceived employability were self-belief only. Moreover, there were no statistically significant relationship between perceived employability and the willingness to accept amount, although perceived employability showed a statistically significant relationship with the subjective discount rates. Unlike the enlisted soldiers, there were no statistically significant relationship between the subjective discount rates and neither of the variables time left until discharge nor perceived employability. The conclusion drawn from this study is as follows. Enlisted soldiers perceived employability are positively affected by how they perceived the current state of the job market, their personal ambitions and their commitment to the Army values. A positive relationship between perceived employability and the willingness to accept implies that soldiers who perceive themselves to be more employable, value their time more, which can be attributed to their sensitivity to opportunity cost. Moreover, the positive relationship between rank and willingness to accept, could be due the effect of impending change. For short-term conscripted officers, only selfbelief had a statistically significant relationship with employability, suggesting that the 3 years of army experience seems to have little to no effect on how they view their employability stock. Moreover, the positive relationship between perceived employability and the subjective discount rate, echo the effects employability had on the valuation of time for the enlisted; those who were more employable, were more aware of the opportunity cost of time, hence valued their present more than the future. For the studys impact upon policy, the ROK Armys Youth Dream, Army Dream program was inspected. This program aims to reinvent the image of the Army and conscripted service, from time wasted to opportunity to strengthen ones employability stock. As per the goal that it hopes to attain, and based on the results of this research, the policy itself looks promising. As the program simultaneous attempts to increase the perceived employability of an enlisted soldier, and thus increase the perceived value of a soldiers time spent in the army, it somewhat coincides with the results of the study. However, the conclusion drawn from the results of the short-term conscripted officers revealed that there exists minimal contact between the experiences of the army and perceived employability. Practically no programs nor policies targeting short-term conscription officers employability stock exists. Thus, lack of a relationship between the army experience and employability should be seen as a problem, especially in light of the fact that application rates for short-term conscription officers continue to plummet, whilst their importance within the army remains ever constant.대한민국 청년들에겐 취업만큼 큰 골치덩어리가 없다. 취업시장에서 조금이라도 더 경쟁적이기 위해 피 튀기는 경쟁을해가며 좋은 대학교를 가려고 하고, 심지어 대학교에서도 취업에 유리한 경험을 쌓기 위해 졸업을 유예해가며 취업 준비를 한다. 다른 나라에서도 비슷한 취업 경쟁이 있을 수 있지만, 한국이 그래도 가장 특별한 상황인 이유는 바로 징집이란 제도가 학업과 취업의 통로를 가로막고 있기 떄문이다. 아직 북한과 대치 상황인 한국에선, 현역 대상인 남자들은 최소 18개월동안 병사 생활을 해야한다. 본인의 의사와는 무관하기 떄문에, 우리나라 청년들은 군 생활을 허비된 시간 정도로 인식한다. 특히 취업과 전쟁을 치러야 할 나이에 선 청년들이 취업은 커녕 사회와 동떨어진 군사 교육을 받고, 특수 기술을 습득하니 군데 대한 부정적 인식은 더욱 팽배해져 갔다. 이러한 트렌드에 반응하여 최근 대한민국 육군은 군생활은 시간 낭비다 라는 이미지로부터 탈피하기 위해 장병 고용성 제고, 즉 스펙 쌓기에 도움을 줄 수 있는 정책들을 시행하며 이미지 탈바꿈을 시도하고 있다. 이와 연계하여 본 논문은 과연 고용성이 시간의 가치 판단에 유의미한 영향을 주는지, 고용성에 영향을 주는 하위 요인들이 무엇이며, 특히 육군복무와 관련된 요인들 중 어떤 요인들이 고용성에 유의미한 영향을 미치는지, 그리고 마지막으로 취업전선에 서서히 다가면서 군인의 시간의 가치는 어떻게 상이한지를 알아보려고 한다. 100 본 논문에선 고용성의 6개의 구성요소들을 문헌조사를 통해 살펴보았다. 이는 육군에 대한 시각, 육군에서 터득한 기량, 자기 신념, 야망 그리고 육군에 대한 헌신 등 있었다. 구성요소들과 취업가능성이 어떠한 관계를 가지고 있는지 알아보기 위해 회귀분석과 피어슨 상관계수를 사용했고 시간의 가치를 측정은 수용가능금액 (Willingness to Accept) 과 주관적 할인율(Subjective Discount Rate)에 대한 설문을 사용하였다. 수용가능금액 설문에선 현 보직, 계급, 근무부대 등 모든 것이 현재와 변함이 없는 것을 가정하에 6개월 연장복무를 독려하려면 현재 월급보다 추가적으로 얼마를 더 지급해야 하는지를 질문했고 주관적 할인률은 사전에 지급 받기로 한 돈을 1주, 3개월, 1년 등 연기하여 입금 된다면, 보상으로 얼마를 더 받고 싶은지 질문했다. 마지막으로 피어슨 상관계수와 다중 회귀분석을 통해 취업가능성과 계급이 시간의 가치 측정 요소들과 어떤 관계가 있는지 살펴보았다. 본 연구는 단기복무장교와 병사들 위주로 실시하였으며 설문지는 육군본부로부터 적절성 검토 및 보안 검토 승인을 받은 후 4월 25부터 5월 5일까지 자료 수집이 실시되었다. 회수 받은 설문지 중 253부만 본 연구에 사용 가능했다. 이 중 188부는 병사, 65부는 단기복무 장교들로부터 회수한 설문지였다. 연구 결과를 요약하자만 첫째, 병사들의 평균 자체 평가 고용성 점수는 3.26이었으며, 단기복무 장교들은 3.4였다. 둘째, 병사들의 고용성에 통계적 유의미한 영향을 미친 요인은 취업시장에 대한 의견, 육군에 대한 헌신, 야망이었다. 둘째, 고용성과 계급은 병사들의 수용가능 금액에 유의미한 영향을 미쳤다. 고용성과 계급을 통제변수들과 함께 다중 회귀 분석을 돌리니, 두 변수 다 통계적으로 유의미한 양의 관계를 보였다. 즉, 본인의 고 용성을 낙관적으로 평가하거나 계급이 높아지면, 병사의 수용가능금액 또한 인상하였다. 단기복무 장교들은 병사들과 사뭇 다른 결과를 보였다. 단기복무 장교들의 고용성에 유의미한 영향을 미친 요인은 개인 신념 뿐이었다. 즉 101 3년 동안 군 복무를 하는 장교들이지만, 군생활과 관련된 경험들이나 기량들이 본인의 고용성에 큰 영향을 미치지 않는다는 결과가 나왔다. 둘째, 고용성과 수용가능금액과 유의미한 관계는 없었다. 다만, 고용성과 Subjective Discount Rate간 유의미한 양의 관계가 나타나며 본인의 고용성이 높다고 판단하는 장교들은 본인의 현재 시간의 가치가 미래 시간 보다 더욱 높다고 결론이 나왔다. 마지막으로 전역까지 남은 기간과 시간의 가치 간의 통계적 유의미한 관계는 나타나지 않았다. 즉 본 연구 결과를 바탕으로 후속 연구 및 정책 관련 제언은 다음과 같다. 현재 육군이 시행하고 있는 청년 드림, 육군 드림은 육군이 도모하는 이미지 탈바꿈을 이루어 낼 수 있는 정책이라고 평가한다. 장병들에게 고용성은 민감한 이슈인 만큼 시간의 가치에도 영향을 주었고, 만약 육군이 군생활 중 장병들의 고용성을 제고할 수 있는 기회를 만들어 준다면, 군생활은 시간 낭비라는 인식을 변화 시킬 수 있을 것이다. 다만, 장병들뿐만 아닌 단기복무 장교들에게도 같은 해택과 관심을 주어야 한다. 병사 복무기간이 추가적으로 단축 되며 단기복무 장교 전형에 지원자율은 급격하게 줄고 있다. 하지만 단기복무를 독려할 수 있는 추가 해택은 없는 상황에서 병사들 여건만 지속적으로 개선이 되고 있어 단기복무장교 전형에 대한 미래 전망은 비관적이다. 또한, 본 연구에 따르면 단기복무 장교들은 군생활을 36개월 하지만 군생활이 본인의 고용가능성에 미치는 영향은 통계적으로 무의미하다고 답했다. 즉, 군이 단기복무 장교에 전형에 대한 매력을 어필하며 지원자 수를 늘리기 위해선 단기복무 장교들에게도 고용성을 강화시킬 수 있는 정책을 마련해야 한다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Literature Review 12 Chapter 3. Research Methodology 32 Chapter 4. Results 41 Chapter 5 Conclusion and Policy Implications 71 Bibliography 81 Appendices 84 Abstract in Korean 99Maste

UTILIZATION OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION CURRICULUM IN FEDERAL AND STATE UNIVERSITIES IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated the utilization of entrepreneurship education curriculum in federal and state universities in Anambra State. Three research questions and one hypothesis guided the study. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. 7,850 undergraduate students constituted the population of the study; while stratified random sampling technique was used to draw 240 respondents as the sample from the state and federal universities in Anambra State. A 21 item questionnaire developed by the researchers was used for data collection. The validation of the instrument was done by three experts, two in Educational Management and Policy and an expert in Measurement and Evaluation Unit of Educational Foundations Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Data obtained were analyzed through mean and t-test statistic. The findings indicate high extent of utilization of NUC benchmark yet specific objectives were unattained. Based on the findings, the study recommended among others that university management should endeavour to adopt appropriate teaching methods in teaching of entrepreneurship education and that the curriculum focus should continue to be practical oriented to enable the achievement of the specified objectives in equipping the undergraduate with relevant skills for self-sustainability on graduation.  Article visualizations

Beta: an experiment in funded undergraduate start up

This paper reports on an evaluation of a funded undergraduate project designed to enable student business start-up. The programme, entitled 'Beta', provides undergraduate students with £1,500 of seed-corn funding. The key objective of the project is for the participants to exit it with a viable and legal business entity through which they can start trading on completion of the course. The study adopts a case study approach and evaluates all aspects of the Beta programme, the actors involved and its processes and practices. The authors examine the development of the project and the challenges and hurdles that were identified and overcome to realize the project's goals