National Curriculum Review Symposium

Relevance of Entrepreneurship
Training
in a Market Driven Economy

GABRIEL S. KONAYUMA
Senior Vocational Training and Training Officer
Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, Zambia
e-mail: gkonayuma@mstvt.gov.zm

1- 3 June 2009

Lusaka
 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

Contents
Abstract 3
Introduction 3
Background 4 4
SWOT Analysis of Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia 6
Relevance of Entrepreneurship Training in a Market Driven Economy 7
Recommendations 7

Conclusion 8
References 9

The Relevance of Entrepreneurship Training in a Market-Driven Economy

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 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

GABRIEL S. KONAYUMA
Department of Vocational Training and Training, Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational
Training, Lusaka, Zambia; e-mail: gkonayuma@mstvt.gov.zm

Abstract:
A number of African countries that have embraced economic reforms have experienced a shrinking
formal sector. This has been due to privatisation of parastatal companies and state-owned companies.
Zambia is one of the African countries that has adopted a market driven economy. This has led to the
growth of the informal sector. A number of people in the informal sector lack adequate entrepreneurial
and technical skills. The Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training (TEVET)
sector has been reformed to make it responsive to the changing scenario in the reformed economy.
Entrepreneurship training for the formal and informal sector has been introduced in TEVET
institutions. A number of organisations have been formed to provide training in skills required in the
informal sector. The TEVET Policy aims to improve technical training and vocational training and
link it to the requirements of the employment sector. The TEVET policy recognises the following
categories of people in our society as the most likely to benefit the country from this training: school
leavers (i.e. Grade 7, Grade 9 and Grade 12); employees in the formal sector; entrepreneurs, both in
formal and informal sector; the unemployed and underemployed – including employees in the
informal sector; women; and retrenches. Entrepreneurship training is integrated in TEVET curricula.
A number of institutions are offering entrepreneurship training. Is this meeting the needs of both the
formal and informal sectors? Are trainees becoming employers and starting their own enterprises or
most still expect employment? Is the Entrepreneurship Training relevant to the market driven
economy? This paper addresses these issues by examining relevant documents such as the TEVET
Policy, Training Policy, Vision 2030 and Entrepreneurship curricula.

Objectives of the Paper:

• To contribute to the development of strategic interventions that promote sustainable
socio-economic development in Zambia;
• To assess how the TEVET Policy has addressed entrepreneurship training in Zambia;
• To identify how the country hopes to achieve a middle-income economy through
strengthened entrepreneurship training;

Key words: Entrepreneurship; Entrepreneurship training; Curriculum; market driven

economy.

INTRODUCTION

This paper looks at the status of entrepreneurship training in Zambia. It also examines the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of entrepreneurship training in Zambia.
Some promising practices of entrepreneurship training in Zambia. The paper then explores
the relevance of entrepreneurship training in a market driven economy. The paper concludes
with some recommendations on how present initiatives in entrepreneurship training can be
enhanced. The objectives of the paper are:
• To contribute to the development of strategic interventions that promote sustainable
development in Zambia through an inclusive and accessible TEVT system Zambia;
• To assess how the TEVT sector has addressed issues of distance and e-learning in
Zambia;
• To identify what the country hopes to achieve through a strengthened TVET system
that uses new ICT based solutions;

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 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

BACKGROUND

Zambia is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. Zambia has eight numbers. Very
few African nations have such an opportunity of having eight neighbours! Give figures of
total population of Zambian neighbours. Zambia has a total surface area of 752,614 square
kilometres. The population is approximately 12 million and the population growth rate is 3%.
Zambia is one of the most urbanised countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The administrative
capital is Lusaka while Livingstone, home of the Victoria Falls (one of the seven wonders of
the world) is the tourist capital. Ndola and Kitwe are the other major cities of Zambia. For
administrative purposes Zambia is divided into nine provinces. English is the official
language. Cinyanja, Chibemba, Chitonga, Silozi, Kikaonde, Luvale and Lunda are the seven
major languages spoken by the majority of Zambians and used on radio and television
programmes.

Economy
From the 1990s Zambia has adopted a free-market economy. The key opportunity sectors are
agricultural production, energy, mining, manufacturing, transportation and tourism.

Current Education System

Zambia’s education system from early childhood to university education is governed by the
Education Policy: Educating Our Future of 1996. The TEVET sector is governed by the
TEVET Policy of 1996.

Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia

In the pre-independence days in Zambia, there were a very small number of businessmen
who could be called entrepreneurs. By the time of independence, Zambia did not have
businessmen and women who were experienced in handling complex businesses. African
businesses only started to grow when a cash economy became the standard for business
transactions. Zambia gained its independence with a less than well-developed African
bourgeoisie, ill-equipped to administer the economy (Chipungu, 1992:174-175).
Entrepreneurship in Zambia has arisen due to a number of factors. Some have started
enterprises due to retrenchments as a consequence of privatisation of parastatal firms between
1992 and 1999 (Konayuma, 2006: 29). Others have become entrepreneurs to supplement their
incomes in order to meet family budget needs. A number of government ministries have
policies that support entrepreneurship development. These include the Technical Education,
Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Policy, the Youth Policy, the Commercial, Trade
and Industrial Policy and the Labour and Social Security Policy.

Entrepreneurship training is a relatively new concept. Some people believe that entrepreneurs
are born and that it people cannot be taught to become entrepreneurs. Many entrepreneurs
would argue that to a certain extent this may be true, but many skills, which are needed for
success, can most definitely be learned. Some entrepreneurs may wish that they had been
given the opportunity! Entrepreneurship training is useful in proving tomorrow's employers
the training they need to create new business prospects. Over the past decade
entrepreneurship has been taught as a stand-alone subject in TEVET institutions in Zambia.
However, the Technical Training, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority
(TEVETA) recently organised workshops where trainers from TEVET institutions were
trained in integrating entrepreneurship into various training programmes (Konayuma,
2006:6).

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 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

Entrepreneurship training has generally been absent from the primary, secondary and
university training. At universities, it is offered mostly to students that are doing business
studies. Thus entrepreneurship is not viewed as a tool that can be used to develop innovative
and creative skills in students that can lead them to become entrepreneurs. In TEVET sector
though, entrepreneurship has been taught for the past fifteen years as a stand-alone subject
and more recently it has been integrated into the various curricula. Is entrepreneurship
training as it is taught in the TEVET sector relevant in Zambia’s economy which is market
-driven? It is important at this stage to consider a working definition of entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is the process whereby an individual or a group of individuals uses
organised efforts and means to pursue opportunities to create value and growth by fulfilling
wants and needs through innovation and uniqueness, no matter what resources are currently
controlled (Robbins and Coulter, 2004:43).

Some of the major challenges to entrepreneurship training include:

Inadequate Entrepreneurship Trainers: TEVETA has made efforts to address the issue of
inadequate trainers in entrepreneurship. This has been by organising training of trainers
workshops at which experts in entrepreneurship have taken participants through aspects of
entrepreneurship training and integration of entrepreneurship into the training programmes.
Some institutions have applied the lessons learnt into their institutions while others have not
yet begun to integrate entrepreneurship training in their programmes. At a consultative forum
held for institutions under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training, it
was noted that a number of them were still struggling to implement the guidelines on
entrepreneurship training in the TEVET Policy and TEVET Policy Strategy Paper.

Lack of Appropriate Training Materials: Though some training providers have made
efforts to develop training materials, there still remains need for learning materials to be
developed that are based on the TEVETA approved curriculum. Some institutions have
bought Entrepreneurship textbooks that TEVETA offered for sale. Currently TEVETA has
advertised for consultants to develop learning materials for trainees in TEVET. It is hoped
that these materials will best suit the needs of trainees and enable them gain a better
understanding of the entrepreneurial competencies in the curricula.

Lack of Appreciation of Entrepreneurship Training: A number of trainees undertake

vocational training with the belief that they will get employed after graduation. Not many see
themselves becoming self-employed immediately after graduation. Some do not see the
benefits of entrepreneurship training. This is also extended to trainers who feel that trainees
only need technical skills and not entrepreneurship training. In addition, it is not easy for
trainers who are not entrepreneurial to appreciate entrepreneurship training. The same applies
for training providers that are not entrepreneurial. They would not be appropriate role models
for the trainees (Konayuma, 2006:8).

Poor Entrepreneurial Culture

Building an ‘Entrepreneurial culture’ to promote the right kind of entrepreneurship in our
Zambia and Africa as a whole calls for good strategies. Entrepreneurs like any other set of
people thrive most where they are recognized most. The entrepreneurial culture in Zambia is
still growing. This could be attributed to business practices among Zambians before
independence. In the pre-independence days in Zambia, there were a very small number of
businessmen who could be called entrepreneurs. By the time of independence, Zambia did

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 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

not have businessmen and women who were experienced in handling complex businesses.
African businesses only started to grow when a cash economy became the standard for
business transactions. Zambia gained its independence with a less than well-developed
African bourgeoisie, ill-equipped to administer the economy (Chipungu, 1992:174-175).

SWOT ANALYSIS OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING IN ZAMBIA

In order to assess the relevance of entrepreneurship training in a market driven economy,
there is need to look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
entrepreneurship training. This is done by looking at entrepreneurship training in the TEVET
sector.

Strengths of Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia

Some of the strengths of entrepreneurship training in Zambia include:
(a) Growing interest in entrepreneurship and small business management by a number of
youths;
(b) Number of staff with some training of trainers in entrepreneurship;
(c) Supported by relevant policies e.g. TEVET, Labour, Commercial and Youth policies.

Weaknesses of Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia

(a) Lack of experienced entrepreneurs as entrepreneurship instructors;
(b) Lack of adequate training materials for entrepreneurship training;
(c) Inadequate or lack of business incubators that provide support services and nurture
students;
(d) Lack of appropriate entrepreneurship models to support entrepreneurship training.
(e) Teaching of entrepreneurship like any other subject and in an academic manner.

Opportunities for Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia

(a) Growing number of successful entrepreneurs who can be used as role models and as
trainers;
(b) Entrepreneurship training materials available on the Internet;
(c) Availability of space and/or workshops in training institutions and industries that can
be used as business incubators;
(d) Best practice of models of entrepreneurship within Zambia and internationally;
(e) Shrinking formal sector;
(f) Provision of toolkits for TEVET graduates;
(g) Increasing number of institutions providing entrepreneurship training.

Threats to Entrepreneurship Training in Zambia

(a) Lack of implementation of policies that support entrepreneurship;
(b) Persons that want to earn very large profits in a very short time without undergoing
any training and having appropriate entrepreneurship experience;
(c) Lack of good entrepreneurship curricula entailing that entrepreneurship is taught in a
haphazard manner.

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 Ministry of Education - National Curriculum Review Symposium, MICC, Lusaka, 1-3 June 2009

RELEVANCE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING IN A MARKET DRIVEN

ECONOMY

Entrepreneurship training is relevant in a market-driven economy for a number of reasons.

Some of these are:

(a) It develops creativity and innovation that are required for one to take advantage of the
business opportunities offered in a market-driven economy;

(b) It exposes students to successful role models and highlights the challenges they have
faced and how they have overcome;

(c) It provides students with knowledge, skills and attitudes that enable them to create
wealth and jobs in a market-driven economy;

(d) It provides students with confidence to become entrepreneurs in a challenging market

environment.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING IN

ZAMBIA

In order to strengthen entrepreneurship training in Zambia and other African countries there
is need to vocationalise general education, set up business incubators in communities, include
aspects of psychology of would be and actual entrepreneurs in entrepreneurship training and
document best practices in entrepreneurship training in Zambia and other African nations.

Vocationalising General Education

Vocational education and entrepreneurship training needs to be introduced in the general
education system. This should be done from nursery school preferably. Introducing
entrepreneurship training at an early stage is important for those pupils that may not proceed
beyond grades 7, 9 or 12. In addition, entrepreneurship and vocational education when
studied much earlier will form a good foundation for trainees that enter the TEVET system at
grades 9 or 12.

Establishing Entrepreneurship Development Centres

Trainees need good models for their entrepreneurship training. Entrepreneurship theory needs
the backing of business incubators to offer business support and role models to budding
entrepreneurs. Zambia has had entrepreneurship development centres in the past. Lessons
learnt from the operation of these centres can be used to improve the functioning of the
setting up of new ones. These centres should provide all the moral support, technical and
business support so that a trainee can have a good start in their enterprise. In addition,
training institutions need to be entrepreneurial in their management and how they operate.
This acts as a practical living example to trainees who can relate the entrepreneurship theory
to what they see in the business management of their institution. Twin Palm Fountain College
in Southern Province offers practical business management training to its’ trainees. They are
provided with livestock and a garden to grow vegetables which are then sold to the college or
the community. The trainees are able to use the funds realised to subside for their tuition fees.

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Teaching Psychology in Entrepreneurship Training

The psychological make-up or mindset of an entrepreneur is important in determining
whether an entrepreneur will succeed or not. Trainees from various family, educational, tribal
and racial backgrounds have different ways of conducting business. As entrepreneurship
involves high levels of risk taking and innovation, trainees need to have their mental capacity
boosted. Hisrich (2005:20) states that the skills required by entrepreneurs can be classified
into three main areas: technical skills, business management skills, and personal
entrepreneurial skills. These skills need to be well and consistently taught in order to develop
a well-rounded entrepreneur.

Documenting Best Practices in Entrepreneurship Training

Documenting best practices in entrepreneurship training is key to ensuring that trainers have
examples that they can emulate.

In Zambia, the Teachers Vocational Training Centre (TVTC) is one of the promising
institutions practicing best practices in entrepreneurship training. The centre trains trainers for
vocational institutions in Zambia. Entrepreneurship at TVTC has been mainstreamed by:
• Integrating entrepreneurship in college’s curricula
• Developing a diploma in Entrepreneurship
• Designing short tailor-made courses that are both standardized and customized.

TVTC has also converted a conference centre into a fully fledged business centre. The
research and consultancy forms the business wing of the college. This is an example of a
training institution being entrepreneurial. TVTC also has embarked on having some of it’s
trainers undertaking Master’s in Business Administration programme. The college plans to
develop an Entrepreneurship Centre which will be a visible structure for trainees to get
business incubation. Plans are also underway to develop links with relevant stakeholders.

CONCLUSION

The paper has highlighted the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of
entrepreneurship training in Zambia. It has also discussed the relevance of entrepreneurship
in a market-driven economy. Recommendations have been made to improve entrepreneurship
training in Zambia. These were: vocationalising general education, establishing
entrepreneurship development centres, teaching psychology in entrepreneurship training and
documenting best practices in entrepreneurship training. In order to ensure that
entrepreneurship training is relevant in a market-driven economy there is need to ensure that
a holistic curriculum review is undertaken to ensure that entrepreneurship is taught and
caught at all levels of the education system. This will then enable students in schools to have
strong entrepreneurial capabilities, self reliant, be outward looking and enterprising, so that
they take advantage of potential and available opportunities (Government of the Republic of
Zambia, 2006:2).

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REFERENCES

Chipungu, S. N. (ed.) (1992) Guardians in their Time. London: Macmillan Press Limited.

Government of Republic of Zambia (2006) Vision 2030. Lusaka: Government of Republic of

Zambia.

Haan, H. C. (2002) Training for Work in the Informal Sector: New Evidence from Eastern
and Southern Africa. Turin: International Labour Organisation.

Hisrich, R. D., Peters, M. P. and Shepherd, D. A. (2005) Entrepreneurship. 6th Edition. New
York: McGraw-Hill.

Konayuma, G. S. (2006) Challenges and Opportunities of Women Entrepreneurs in Zambia.

Durban: Management College of Southern Africa.

Konayuma, G. S. (2006) Challenges of Shrinking Formal Sector in Africa. Livingstone:

Commonwealth Association of Polytechnics in Africa.

Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training (1998) Technical Education,

Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Policy. Lusaka: Ministry of Science, Technology
and Vocational Training.

Robbins, S. P. and Coulter, M. (2004) Management (7th Edition) New Delhi: Pearson
Education.

Gabriel S. Konayuma – Relevance of Entrepreneurship Training in a Market Driven Economy 9