Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Job Intentions of Polytechnic Students in Nigeria
- August 22, 2020
- Posted by: RSIS
- Categories: Education, IJRISS
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VIII, August 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186
Impact of Entrepreneurship Education on Job Intentions of Polytechnic Students in Nigeria
Adewoyin Victor A1, Famule Festus D.2
1Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Nigeria
2Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Nigeria
Abstract: The Nigeria State through the regulatory bodies for Polytechnics and Universities namely National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Universities Commission (NUC) has made Entrepreneurship Education (EE) compulsory for Nigerian undergraduates from 2007/2008 academic session. This is to make them job creators rather than job seekers after graduation. About decade after the commencement, there is a need to assess the impact on both final years National Diploma (ND) Higher National Diploma (HND) students of the polytechnic system. There is yet no sufficient empirical evidence to suggest that EE has direct and positive impact on their self-employment intentions and drive. Fundamentally, Polytechnic education by design and rationale is expected to train and equip graduates with the requisites skill to be self-employed. This study is therefore on the impact that Entrepreneurship Education (EE) is having on Entrepreneurial outcome. The authors aim at investigating students’ attitude towards Entrepreneurship Education (EE) and the perceived influence that various Entrepreneurship Education (EE) courses can have on a cohort of final year National Diploma (ND) and Higher National Diploma (HND) students in Nigerian Polytechnics starting with three (3) Polytechnics (both State and Federal Government owned) situated in Oyo, Ondo and Ekiti states of the Western Region of Nigeria in the first instance, and subsequently in other three states; Osun, Ogun and Lagos states of the region. The other geopolitical zones will follow later. The target beneficiaries for this study include entrepreneurship educators, researchers and EE decision-makers like regulatory agencies (e.g. NBTE), National Council on Education), institutional academic boards, donor agencies etc. It was found generally in the study empirically that more than enough evidence has suggested that EE has positive impact on job intentions of students in Nigerian Polytechnics and Colleges of Technology.
Key Words: Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Education (EE), Entrepreneurial outcomes, attitudes, intentions.
I. INTRODUCTION
National Policy on Entrepreneurship and the Nigerian Polytechnic System
In 2006, the Nigerian National Council on Education (NCE) during its 53rd meeting directed that all higher education institutions in Nigeria should introduce entrepreneurship education as a compulsory course for all their students (irrespective of their course of studies) from 2007/2008 academic session.
