Rethinking Entrepreneurship Education and Training in Cameroon

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to present the limitations of entrepreneurship education in Cameroon, and propose a new direction that entrepreneurship must follow. In order to achieve the above objectives, an empirical study was undertaken with the aim of analyzing the impact entrepreneurial courses have had on learners since its inception in Cameroon, just at the beginning of the new century. The approach used to collect data is a well designed reliable questionnaire among hundred graduates, policy makers in the education system, and recruitment personnel. Additional information is used through previous research and other from supporting structures having theoretical data related to the subject. The study research found that the entrepreneurship training has no real impact on learners regarding their entrepreneurial posture or orientation on business creation.The study also found that there are no interdisciplinary approaches in entrepreneurship training; in all government interventions that make entrepreneurship education accessible to all students, from secondary to tertiary. Additionally, the study found that there is a lack of entrepreneurship trainers and roles models. Finally, companies’ managers and recruitment agencies are not keen to hire students with entrepreneurship as major. This study has not only explored the limitations and the nature of entrepreneurial training on learners, but also proposed effective and efficient mechanisms aiming at positively impacting students’ ability to create business and new ventures. An appropriate scheme in terms of cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit around training on students and concentrating efforts on supporting the growth of new ventures launched by students is suggested. The study further suggests that the development of entrepreneurship courses with the aim to improve students’ business acumen and creativity to express themselves to deliver new perspectives and insights in today's most pressing business environment.The concept of entrepreneurship training is not mastered by local policies makers and academics; leading to a large confusion between entrepreneurship and small business management training. This gap in entrepreneurship education understanding by policy makers and lecturers limits their ability to develop adequate strategies for the former, and to empower future new ventures owners for the later. Consequently, these impediments exclude time-tested examples and relevant illustrations on entrepreneurship training that was supposed to provide a unique approach to train learners through leadership, innovation and beyond.