Perceived Influence of Technical and Vocational Education and Training on Entrepreneurship Skill Acquisition for Employment among Youth in Rivers State

Abstract

This study examined the perceived influence of Technical and Vocational Education and Training on 
Entrepreneurship Skill Acquisition for Employment among Youth in Rivers State. Four objectives, four research 
questions as well as four hypotheses were formulated and used for the study. The study employed a descriptive 
survey design. The population of the study consisted of 1,086 Technical and Vocational Education and Training 
lecturers and final year undergraduate students in the study area. Stratified and simple random sampling 
techniques was employed to select the sample size of 415 respondents used, comprising of 101 Technical and 
Vocational Education and Training lecturers and 314 final year undergraduate Technical and Vocational 
Education and Training students. The instrument for this study was a well structured questionnaire drawn in Likert 
5-point rating scale of Strongly Agree (SA-5), Agree (A-4), Undecided (U-3), Disagree (D-2) and Strongly 
Disagree (SD-1). The instrument was face and content validated by the research supervisor and two experts in the 
study area. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient was used to test the instrument and was found to have 0.83 
reliability coefficient which was considered high enough to be used for the study. 415 copies of the research 
instruments were retrieved and analysed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, 
while z-test statistic was used to test the hypotheses. The study revealed that resource management help in 
developing risk taking ability, research skills aids youth to search for workable opportunities, ability to manage 
situations/ resource. Also, effective leadership help in directing of processes in work place, developing marketing 
skill in business. Furthermore, creative thinking helps in observation of situation at the workshop, critical thinking 
helps in resilience on finding solution to business problems, among others. Therefore, it was recommended that 
the government through higher institutions of learning should organise youth seminar and workshops where youth 
mindset, entrepreneurial interest will be positively awaken for the purpose of enhancing entrepreneurship skill 
acquisition among the youth in Rivers State and beyond; also the government and Non-governmental organisation 
should organize training for unemployed youths to tutor them on interpersonal skills needed for entrepreneurial 
development