ASSESSMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS NEEDED FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT BY BUSINESS EDUCATION GRADUATES IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study on assessment of entrepreneurial skills needed for self-employment by business education graduates in Delta State was necessitated by need to equip business education graduates with skills for entrepreneurship. Three research questions guided the study and three null hypotheses were tested. Descriptive survey research design was adopted. The entire population of 377 was studied without sampling as the size was manageable. A 5-point rating scale questionnaire containing 30 items in three clusters which was validated by experts with grand reliability coefficient of 80 was used for data collection. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyse data to answer the research questions and determine the homogeneity or otherwise of the respondents views while the z-test was used to test the null hypotheses a. 0.05 level of significance. Findings indicate that business education graduates in Delta State highly need accounting and office technology and management skills but moderately need marketing skills for self-employment. Also gender did not significantly affect the respondents mean ratings on the extent business education graduates need accounting and office technology and management skills for self-employment but did on the extent they need marketing skills. Based on the findings, it was concluded that business education graduates in Delta State need entrepreneurial skills such as accounting, office technology and management, and marketing skills for self-employment. It was recommended among others that business educators should use innovative instructional strategies to adequately equip their students with skills for entrepreneurial success. Article visualizations: