Entrepreneurial Education for Skills Acquisition and Jobs Creation

of Graduates in Rivers State Universities: An Empirical Approach.

By
1
GRACE C. ONYEBUCHI-IGBOKWE PhD
Department of Fine and Applied Arts.AIFCE.
onygra28@gmail.com

NDEBILIE CHINYERE E.
2

Department of Fine and Applied Arts.

chibaba40teaves@gmail.com

and

3
CHIZOBA A EGORNU PHD
Department of Fine and Applied Arts. AIFCE.
chibaba40teaves@gmail.com
 Abstract
The study examined how Rivers State Universities' alumni used entrepreneurship education to build
their skill sets and find jobs. With a population of 1240 faculty of education graduates from Ignatius
Ajuru University of Education and Rivers State University, the descriptive survey design was
chosen. Using a straightforward random selection procedure, a sample of 372 graduates was chosen
from the entire population. A questionnaire with a reliability co-efficient of 0.86 utilizing the
Cronbach Alpha Method served as the data gathering tool. Mean and standard deviation were used to
answer the two study questions, and the two null hypotheses were examined using the z-test
statistical tool at a significance level of.05. The study's findings demonstrated that to a large extent,
Rivers state Universities' graduates' acquisition of skills and creation of jobs is influenced by
creativity, innovation, and taking risks. The researcher recommended that the university curricula be
designed to produce graduates who are creative and innovatively disposed to meet the technological
requirements of the 21st century needed to excel in any industry, and that entrepreneurial educators
should ensure that students receive adequate training before graduation in order to equip graduates
with risk-taking ability that will enable them to venture into any chosen business.
Keywords: Entrepreneurial Education, Skill Acquisition, Job Creation, Graduates, Rivers State
Universities.
 Introduction
Schooling is exceptionally crucial in the preparation and improvement of human possibilities in any
country, as it teaches suitable abilities, values, information, mentalities and work skills in people for
significant life and public turn of events. It frames the premise of proficiency, expertise securing,
innovative headway, information obtaining and capacity to interface the normal assets of the climate
thus, it is alluded to as the foundation of improvement. It is seen that training is equipped for
achieving the ideal financial and political changes in the country. Understudies seek after various
sorts of schooling for various reasons which could be political, monetary, social, innovative etcetera.
One of these sorts of schooling is innovative instruction. Tamuo and Ogiji, (2011) states that
business instruction is the kind of schooling which can influence on the development and
advancement of an undertaking through specialized and professional preparation. The training looks
to furnish adolescents with suitable and satisfactory information, abilities and inspirations important
to empower them contend well and make victories anyplace. It readies the understudies to be
businesses of work, makes them ready to transform thoughts right into it and independent (Ememe,
2010). According to Atakpa (2011), Pioneering training is the part of instruction which prepares an
individual and makes in the individual the attitude to attempt the gamble of wandering into a
genuinely new thing by applying the information and abilities procured in school. It includes
imagination, advancement, risk taking and the capacity to design and oversee projects to
acknowledge targets.

Pioneering training as a feature of the all-out schooling system is the sort of instruction that includes
the obtaining of abilities, thoughts and the executive capacities essential for work creation. A
business person advances work instead of looking for business. Hence, there is a need to embrace
this kind of instruction and give every one of the vital assets expected to make it practical. Quality
innovative instruction could be utilized as a device for battling the conflict against destitution and
joblessness. Tragically, higher foundations continue to produce graduates who are not confident
because of their inability to gain any abilities. These alumni rely entirely upon middle class positions
which generally speaking are inaccessible, and when accessible doesn't get together with the quantity
of occupation searchers. The quantity of joblessness among college graduates is credited to the
college educational program which is outfitted towards generalized objectives and occupations
without sufficient useful work (Oboreh & Nnebe, 2019).
The presentation of Enterprising Training in tertiary organizations means that its significance to
business creation, independent work, confidence and neediness decrease. Upon graduation graduates
who gain abilities can rehearse what was realized in school, make occupations for them and others
and take part in financial advancement in the State. Fashua (2016) declared that business schooling
makes the eagerness and capacity in an individual to search out venture open doors in the general
public and have the option to lay out and run an undertaking effectively founded on the recognized
open doors. This implies that business training assists with furnishing understudies with the
information, abilities and advancement to support business in assortment settings. Business venture
has turned into a crucial viewpoint in advancing monetary achievement, unfaltering quality and
riches. The meaning of business has contributed hugely in decreasing the degree of joblessness and
in this way advancing work open doors among the adolescent particularly college graduates.

Nwangwu (2011) verbalizes the targets of innovative schooling at the tertiary level to include:

1. Providing alumni with satisfactory preparation that will empower them to be imaginative and
creative in distinguishing respectable business open doors.

2. Providing utilitarian schooling for adolescents in order to empower them to be independently

employed and confident.

3. Providing alumni with satisfactory preparation in the securing of abilities that will empower them
to meet the labor needs of the general public.

Obasi and Ohio (2014) expressed that business venture schooling was essentially situated, planned,
and bundled to prepare the understudies (recipients) with down to earth abilities, information, and
direction for pioneering life, which was designed for work creation. It was, hence, an exceptional
preparation given for the procurement of professional, specialized abilities, the board abilities, and
limit with respect to independence and work. Okoh and Emehi (2011) recognized major innovative
abilities which are kept up with to be fundamental for the presentation of pioneering tasks to include:
applied, critical thinking, impact/power, advertising, ambitious, monetary administration, using time
productively, specialized abilities, business abilities, etc. According to Essay (2018) pioneering
abilities help in making the young people to become work makers as well as abundance makers.
Enterprising abilities hence lead to abundance collection, and contribute massively in lessening the
degree of joblessness among the adolescents. Pioneering training plans young people to be
dependable people, who become business visionaries or enterprising scholars by uncovering them, in
actuality, growth opportunities where they will be expected to think, face challenges, oversee
conditions and unexpectedly gain from the result (Bolt-Lee and Encourage, 2013). Business people
assume essential parts in all economies as they achieve advancement which prompts presentation of
new items, as well as better approaches for getting things done in the general public. Recipients of
this sort of instruction are confident and sustainers of financial development. Businesses help to
make riches and decrease joblessness, produce imagination and development, and increment the
complete creation of a country ( Okoro & Ursula, 2012). Rather than moving about searching for
non-existent positions, business visionaries make occupations for themselves and others.

Joblessness is a hydra headed beast which undermines financial turn of events and strength.
Consistently colleges turn out a great many alumni who are not furnished with abilities, imaginative
and inventive thoughts, information and capabilities which will make them capability as business
people and make occupations after graduation. This is discernible to the powerlessness of training
organizers to coordinate in the educational plan procurement of sellable work creation abilities
throughout the long term. The powerlessness of these abounding alumni to secure positions
provoked the Central Government to require the consideration of pioneering schooling in the
educational program and foundation of business visionary focuses the nation over to furnish
understudies with fitting abilities, enterprising information and capabilities through appropriate
preparation and turn them out as business visionaries and occupation makers. Mbanefo and Eboka
(2014), Ogundele, Akingbade and Akinlabi (2012), Boreh and Nnebe (2019) and Fatoki (2014) have
all completed various examinations on business venture schooling, yet the ongoing review contrasts
from their investigations in extension and concentration. It was on this reason that the scientist was
affected to examine enterprising schooling for expertise securing and work production of graduates
in Rivers State Universities to fill in the information hole.

Purpose of the Study

The motivation behind this study was to research pioneering schooling for ability obtaining and work
making of graduates in Rivers State Universities. The review tried to accomplish the accompanying
goals:

1. Ascertain the degree to which imagination and development impact expertise securing and work
formation of graduates in Rivers State Universities.
2. Examine the degree risk taking impact ability securing and work production of graduates in Rivers
State Universities.

Research Questions:

The accompanying examination questions were modeled for the review;

1. To what degree does imagination and advancement impact expertise obtaining and work
production of graduates in Rivers State Universities?

2. To what degree does risk-taking impact expertise obtaining and work formation of graduates in
Rivers State Universities?

Hypotheses:

Two invalid speculations were figured out for the review and were tried at .05 degree of importance.
They were;

1. There is no important distinction between the mean reaction of alumni of Rivers State University
and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards the degree imagination and advancement
impact expertise-securing and work formation of graduates in Rivers State Universities.

2. There is no important distinction between the mean reaction of alumni of Rivers State University
and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards the degree risk-taking impact ability securing
and work production of graduates in Rivers State Universities.

Methodology

The review embraced clear overview plan. The review was completed in Rivers State Universities.
The number of respondents in the review contained 1240 alumni from the Faculty of Educaion,
Rivers State University (RSU) and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUE) within the 2022
and 2023 scholarly year in a WhatsApp group. 738 alumni of the absolute populace were of RSU
while 502 are alumni of IAUE. A Sample size of (221 RSU graduates and 151 IAUE graduates)
addressing 30% of the populace was chosen through basic irregular inspecting procedure.
Information were gathered through a well-structure survey named “Entrepreneurial education for
skill acquisition and job creation of graduates” (EESAJCG). The instrument has two segments: A
and B. Segment A looked for data on the individual foundation of the respondents. Area B looked for
data on the perspective on the understudies in regards to the subject of study with ten inquiry things.
The poll embraced a four-point scale which was as per the following: Very High Extent (VHE = 4);
High Extent (HE = 3); Low Extent (LE = 2) and Very Low Extent (VLE = 1). The mean of each item
was interpreted in relation to the normal value assigned to the instrument with their real limits as
follows: VHE (4)3.50-4.00, HE (3) 2.50-3.49, LE (2) 1.50-2.49 and VLE (1) 0.50-1.49.

Face and content validity of the instrument were determined by three experts from Faculty of
Education, R i ve rs S ta te U ni ve rs it y . The researcher used Cronbach Alpha method to affirm
the reliability coefficient of the instrument which is 0.86. The instrument was administered to the
respondents through their WhatsApp pages by the researcher. Responses to the questionnaire were
gathered through same platform. The exercise took the researcher three weeks to complete.
The collected data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the two research
questions posed. 2.50 was set as a bench mark for the four point scales, 2.50 and above was
considered high extent or very high extent while 2.49 and below was considered low extent or very
low extent and z-test was used to test the two formulated null hypotheses at .05 level of significance.
The formulated null hypotheses were rejected when the calculated z value is greater than or equals to
the z-critical value at .05 level of significance and failed to reject null hypotheses when the z-
calculated value is less than the z-critical value at 0.05 level of significance.

Results:
Research Question 1: To what extent does creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition
and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities?

Table 1: Mean Responses on the Extent Creativity and Innovation Influence Skill
Acquisition and Job Creation of Graduates in Rivers State Universities.
S/N Items RSU IAUE Remarks
— SD — SD
X X
1 Introduction of new ideas influence skill acquisition and 3.00 1.12 3.03 1.03 HE
job creation
2 New methods influence skill acquisition and job 3.16 0.95 3.09 0.91 HE
Creation
3 Being constructive influence skill acquisition and job 3.12 1.01 3.05 1.09 HE
creation
4 Creating new ways of doing things influence skill 3.13 1.01 2.98 0.97 HE
acquisition and job creation
5 Being imaginative influence skill acquisition and job 2.96 1.07 2.67 1.14 HE
Creation
Grand Mean 3.07 1.03 2.96 1.03 HE
 The result of the analysis presented in Table 1 above indicated that respondents agreed to a high
extent that creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates with
the following mean values for all items on the Table above. For Rivers State University
graduates: 3.00, 3.16, 3.12, 3.13 and 2.96 and for Ignatius Ajuru University of Education
graduates: 2.59, 2.61, 2.60, 2.63 and 2.67 respectively.
Research Question 2: To what extent does risk taking influence skill acquisition and job
creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities in post COVID-19 era.

Table 2: Mean Responses on the Extent Risk Taking Influence Skill Acquisition and
Job Creation of Graduates in Rivers State Universities.
S/N Items RSU IAUE Remarks
— SD — SD
X X
1 Exploration of new business opportunities 2.74 1.14 2.95 1.07 HE
influence skill acquisition and job creation
2 Starting and growing new firms influence skill 3.06 0.97 2.98 1.08 HE
acquisition and job creation
3 Sourcing, analyzing new information and 3.13 0.93 2.79 1.16 HE
venturing into new line of business influence
skill acquisition and job creation
4 Participating and taking on a new business 3.00 1.00 3.07 1.09 HE
influence skill acquisition and job creation
5 Investing in a new business influence skill 3.09 0.99 2.93 1.21 HE
acquisition and job creation
Grand Mean 3.00 1.01 2.94 1.12 HE
The result of the analysis presented in Table 2 above indicated that respondents agreed to a high
extent that risk taking influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates with the following
mean values for all items on the Table above. For Rivers State University graduates: 2.74, 3.06,
3.13, 3.00 and 3.09 and for Ignatius Ajuru University of Education graduates: 2.95, 2.98, 2.79,
3.07 and 2.93 respectively.

Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference between the mean response of graduates of

Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards the extent
creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State
Universities.
Table 3: Z-Test Analysis of the Responses on the Extent Creativity and Innovation Influence
Skill Acquisition and Job Creation of Graduates in Rivers State Universities.

Respondents N — SD DF LS z-cal z-crit Decision

X
RSU 221 3.07 1.03 370 .05 1.10 ±1.96
Graduates
Failed to reject no
significant relationship
IAUE 151 2.96 1.03
Table 3 above shows no significant difference between the responses of graduates of Rivers State
University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education on the extent creativity and innovation
influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities. The z-
calculated value of 1.10 was less than the z-critical value of±1.96 (1.10 ≤±1.96) at .05 level of
significance. Therefore, there is no significance difference between the mean response of
graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards the
extent creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in
Rivers State Universities.
Hypothesis 2:There is no significant difference between the mean response of graduates of RSU
and IAUE as regards the extent risk- taking influence skill acquisition and job creation of
graduates in Rivers State Universities.

Table 4: Z-Test Analysis of the Responses on the Extent Risk Taking Influence Skill
Acquisition and Job Creation of Graduates in Rivers State Universities.

Respondents N — SD DF LS z-cal z-crit Decision

X
RSU 221 3.00 1.01 370 .05 0.60 ±1.96
Graduates
Failed to reject no
significant relationship
IAUE 151 2.94 1.12
Table 4 above shows no significant difference between the responses of graduates of Rivers State
Graduates
University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education on the extent risk taking influence skill
acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities. The z-calculated value of
0.60 was less than the z-critical value of ±1.96 (0.60 ≤±1.96) at .05 level of significance.
Therefore, there is no significance difference between the mean response of graduates of Rivers
State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards th
extent risk taking influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State
Universities.

Discussion of Findings
The findings on research question 1 with respect to the extent creativity and innovation influence
skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities and a grand mean of
3.07 and 2.96 for graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of
Education respectively indicate that the respondents agreed to the statements that, introduction
of new ideas influence skill acquisition and job creation; new methods influence skill
acquisition and job creatio; creating new ways of doing things influence skill acquisition and job
creation and being imaginative influence skill acquisition and job creation. Hence, the study
revealed that creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in
Rivers State Universities to a high extent. For the corresponding hypothesis 1, the z- calculated
value of 1.10 which is less than z-critical value of±1.96 at .05 level of significance implied that
both graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education agreed that
creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation. Thus, the null hypothesis
which states that, there is no significant difference between the mean response of graduates of
Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education as regards the extent
creativity and innovation influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State
Universities failed to reject significant difference.
The study was in agreement with the findings of Mbanefo and Eboka (2018) that, parents and
teachers do not encourage entrepreneurial spirit and aspiration among children, and there are
inadequate facilities and equipment for innovative and entrepreneurial skill acquisition in
schools. The result is also in line with the findings of Ogundele, Akingbade and Akinlabi (2012)
that technical innovation and youth empowerment are influenced by their acquired technical skill
and innovation. It is also in agreement with the findings of Oboreh and Nnebe (2019) who
found out that entrepreneurial education has significantly influenced creativity and skill
acquisition of graduates.
The findings on research question 2 as regards the extent risk taking influence skill acquisition
and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities and a grand mean of 3.00 and 2.94 for
graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education respectively
indicate that the respondents agreed to the statements that, exploration of new business
opportunities influence skill acquisition and job creation; starting and growing new firms
influence skill acquisition and job creation; sourcing, analyzing new information and venturing
into new line of business influence skill acquisition and job creation; participating and taking on
a new business influence skill acquisition and job creation and investing in a new business
influence skill acquisition and job creation. Hence, the study revealed that risk taking influence
skill acquisition and job creation of graduates in Rivers State Universities to a high extent.

For the corresponding hypothesis 2, the z-calculated value of0.60 which is less than z-critical
value of±1.96 at .05 level of significance implied that both graduates of Rivers State University
and Ignatius Ajuru University of Education agreed that risk taking influence skill acquisition and
job creation. Thus, the null hypothesis which states that, there is no significance difference
between the mean response of graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius Ajuru University
of Education as regards the extent risk taking influence skill acquisition and job creation of
graduates in Rivers State Universities failed to reject significant difference. The finding is in
consonance with the finding of Fatoki (2014) which revealed that risk taking which involved
taking calculated risk had positive impact on human capital development. It also agrees with the
findings of Oboreh and Nnebe (2019) which reveals that risk taking has positive influence on
skill acquisition of graduates.

Conclusion
Based on the findings of the study, it is concluded that creativity and innovation and risk taking
influence skill acquisition and job creation of graduates of Rivers State University and Ignatius
Ajuru University of Education to a high extent. It was also concluded that the respondents from
both universities agreed to the fact that creativity and innovation and risk taking influence skill
acquisition and job creation.

Recommendations
The following recommendations were made based on the findings;
1. The Universities curriculum should be projected to turn out graduates who are creatively
and innovatively disposed to meet up with the 21st century technological prerequisites
needed to excel in any industry.
2. Entrepreneurial educators should ensure adequate training is giving to students before
graduation in order to equip the graduates with risk taking ability which will enable them
venture into any chosen business without distress.
References
Atakpa, R.A. (2011). Entrepreneurship education: A sine qua-non in business education in
Nigeria. Business Education Journal, 1(11), 1-6.

Bolt-Lee, C. & Foster, S. (2013). The core competency framework: A new element in continuing
call for accounting education change in the United States. Journal of
Accounting
Education,12(1), 33-47.

Ememe, O.N. (2010). Entrepreneurship education in the university in the eastern Nigeria:
Implications for higher education administration. Unpublished Ph.D. Dissertation.
University of Port Harcourt.
Essay, U. K. (2018). The importance of developing entrepreneurial skills commerce
essay.British Journal of Education, 3(6), 46-57.

Fashua, K.O. (2016). Entrepreneurship theory, strategies and practice. Abuja: AbujaBee
Publishers.

Fatoki, O. (2012). The impact of entrepreneurial orientation on access to debt finance and
performance of small and medium enterprises in South Africa. Journal Social Science,
32(2), 121-131.

Mbanefo, M. C. &Eboka, O. C. (2018). Acquisition of innovative and entrepreneurial skills in

basic science education for job creation in Nigeria. Science Education International, 28(3),
207-213.

Nwangwu, I.G.O. (2011). Entrepreneurship in education. Concepts and constraint. African

Journal of Education and Development Studies.4(1), 196-207.

Obasi, K. K. & Ohio, A.N. (2014). Developing foundational entrepreneurship capacity at the
basic level for manpower development in Imo state: The planning challenges. International
Journal of Educational Research, 13(1), 81-92.
Oboreh, J. C. &Nnebe, E. G. (2019). Entrepreneurship education and skill acquisition of
graduates in public universities South-East, Nigeria. InternationalJournal of Business and
Law Research, 7(4), 84-97.
Ogundele, O. J. K., Akingbade, W. A. & Akinlabi, H. B. (2012). Entrepreneurship training and
 education as strategic tools for poverty alleviation in Nigeria. American International
Journal of Contemporary Research, 2(1), 148-156.

Okoro, I. F. & Ursula, O. I. (2012). The teacher and skills acquisition at basic education from
the perspective of cake making in home economics. International journal of the common
wealthresearch and capacity education initiative, 3(3), 11-21.

Tamuno, S. O & Ogiji, P. (2011). The development of entrepreneurial education in Nigeria.

Journal of Education in Developing Areas, 13(2), 140-149.