Abstract
One of the goals of NCE business education
programme is the acquisition of both physical and intellectual skills which
will enable individuals to be self- reliant and useful members of the society. In spite of
available business opportunities, and conducive environment for businesses to
thrive in Cross River state, Business Education graduates are
yet to maximize
these opportunities, by using their creative abilities in establishing jobs for
themselves and others instead, the business graduates go about the streets in
search of jobs which are either few in supply or not available leading to high
rate of unemployment, which has led to frustration and low self-esteem, and
other negative vices amongst NCE graduates. It was on this note the study was
conducted to determine the self-employment skills possessed by business
education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development in
Cross River State. The study adopted a
descriptive survey research design and was conducted in Federal College
of Education Obudu and College of Education Akamkpa, Cross River State. The population for the study was 745 made up
of: 425 NCE final year students of Business Education from Federal College of
Education Obudu, and 320 NCE final year students of Business Education from
College of Education Akamkpa. The sample of the study was 384 made up of 206
and 178 respondents from the Federal College of Education Obudu and College of
Education Akamkpa respectively. A structured questionnaire containing 63 items
was used to elicit responses from respondents and generate data for the study.
The instrument was face-validated by three experts in the Department of
Vocational Education was used to collect data from the respondents. The study
made use of Cronbach Alpha reliability method Sto determine the internal
consistency of the instrument. The data collected for the study was analyzed
using mean to answer the research questions and standard deviation to determine
the closeness or otherwise of the responses from the mean, while t -test
statistic was used to test the null hypothesis of no significant difference at
the probability of 0.05 level of significance at relevant degree of freedom
with the use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings from
the analysis showed that business education students of Colleges of Education
in Cross River State slightly possess creative skills, information and
communication skills, marketing skills and accounting skills for self
employment and sustainable development. Based on the findings of the study, it
was recommended amongst others that Business education students should be
mandated to develop a viable business plan before graduation as this would
bring out their creative abilities in creating jobs for themselves in
particular and the nation at large.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background of
the Study
Business
Education is an educational programme that prepares students for entry and advancement
in jobs within business and to handle their business affairs as well as to
function intelligently as consumers and citizens in a business economy. Osuala
(2004) defined business education as that aspect of vocational education, which
emphasizes job competency, career preparation and work adjustments. It involves
acquisition of special skills in business subject sareas. Njoku (2006) defined
business education as an educational programme that equips individuals with
functional and sustainable skills, knowledge, attitude and value that would
enable the individuals operate in the
environment such individuals find themselves. Business education programme is
offered at various levels of tertiary education: Universities, Polytechnics,
and Colleges of Education.
College
of Education according
to the Nigerian Academy of Management Administration (2014) is an educational programme created to prepare
individuals to be leaders and practitioners in education and related human
service fields by expanding and deepening understanding of education as a
fundamental human endeavour in helping society define and respond to its educational
responsibilities and challenges. At this level of education, the
programme prepares the individual for a career in teaching, employment in
industries, civil service and business establishment as well as self-employment
(Ubong & Wokocha, 2009). There are two Colleges of Education in Cross River
State: Federal College of Education Obudu, located at the urban area of the
State, has a better and conducive environment and opportunities for
entrepreneurship to thrive unlike the College of Education Akamkpa, which is
located at the rural area of the State, which is characterized by lack of
market and infrastructural facilities for businesses to flourish. However, both
Colleges run a Business Education programme, which lead
to the award of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) after three years of
full-time postsecondary study.
The Business
Education programme is very relevant in Cross River State, which is tagged a
“Civil Service State” due to few companies, industries and businesses that
employ the youths, thus, the burden of employment in the State lies mainly on
Government. The lack of employment generating agencies has led to high rate of
unemployment in the State since the government alone cannot absorb all the
graduates, including NCE graduates. Evidence of unemployment and
under-employment in the State remain at high level. According to State Planning
Commission (2012), the unemployment rate of the youths in 2009, 2010 and 2011
were 32.9%, 35.3% and 35.9% respectively. The records also show that over 40%
of the unemployed persons in Cross River State had Nigeria Certificate in
Education (NCE) inclusive of business education graduates. From the above
report, it therefore, means that the business education NCE student, who in
this study is referred as the final year business education students, go about in
search of jobs that do not exist, thus, increasing the rate of unemployment in
the State. The implication of the above statistics is that Business Education
programme, which aimed at graduating knowledgeable, skilled, and competent
individuals that can be self employed and also create jobs in the society, thereby
reducing the unemployment situation in the State is not meeting up with her
objectives.
The objectives
of Business Education at NCE level are: to produce well qualified and competent
NCE graduates in business subjects who will be able to teach business subjects
in secondary schools and other related educational institutions; to produce NCE
business teachers who will be able to inculcate the vocational aspects of
Business Education into the society… and to equip graduates with the right
skills that will enable them to engage in a life of work in the office as well
as for self-employment (Njoku, 2006). Osuala (2004) noted that Business
Education programme is robust enough to equip individuals with skills and
knowledge for employment, thereby combating unemployment and poverty, and
enhancing sustainable development.
Sustainable
development according to Lemchi (2012) is that development which meets the
needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs. Anyakoha (2010) rightly stated that sustainable
development is a holistic approach to improving the quality of human life. Meeting
human needs for present and future generation stands out as the bedrock of
sustainable development. Thus, Business Education programme certainly has a
role to play in ensuring sustainable development. This role would require the
Business Education graduate to possess divergent thinking and problem solving
skills, and innovative strategies in creating and sustaining jobs. Lemchi
(2006) identified certain tools that the Business Education graduate should
possess for effective realization of sustainable development to include
entrepreneurship education, creativity, Information and Communication
Technologies amongst others.
To possess is to
have as an attribute, knowledge or power to acquaint or inform at any point in
time. The attitude or quality possessed by an individual is the key factor to
the realization of the potentials within the individual. Knowledge possession
only is not enough for individual to be self sufficient’ as is the case in
Colleges of Education which emphasizes knowledge acquisition to practical
dexterity of the individual. Therefore the individual has to possess skills in
creativity, attitude as well as general knowledge.
Creativity
according to Onu (2009) is a mental process undertaken by an individual or
group to solve specific problems resulting in the production of statistically
infrequent solutions which are useful to the society and the creator. Creativity
obviously involves some form of display of ability to do something and most
often in a new way. It involves developing problem solving skills, evolving new
technologies and ways of solving problem. Lemchi (2012) asserted that
possession of creative skill gives rise to self employment. Creativity and
innovation are considered to be inseparable from entrepreneurship, which in
turn, manifested in the act of starting up and running enterprise. (Pretorios,
Millard & Kruger, 2005). The reverse of creativity, which is the hall mark
of business students according to Omeke (2011), is poverty, bottle necks in
bureaucracy, decrease in potentials for improved social norms, lack of reforms,
poor mindset, lack of new ventures and poor organisation. When creativity is
lacking, it is obvious that a coherent framework for the implementation of a
strong entrepreneurial culture will equally be missing; thus, resulting in
unemployment, lack of due process to encourage innovation, and growth of crime.
Therefore, creative skill acquisition is advocated for business students.
Skill
is the ability to do a task expertly. Bolt-Lee and Foster (2003) posited that
skill is the art of possessing the ability, power, authority, or competency to
do the task required of an individual on the job. Two fundamental issues are
used when a skill is to be acquired According to Okoro and Ursula (2012), the
first is the conditions which promote acquisition and the second is the change
that will occur when the skill is acquired. Igwe (2008) says that when somebody
acquires skills in any occupation, such a person can establish his own business
and even employ others. The person becomes self-reliant, self-sufficient and
self employed.
Self-employment refers to the situation where
an individual creates and takes control of a business decisions.. Abdulkarim
(2012) defined self-employment as working for oneself. The implication is that
the person is his own boss and he takes every decision involving the business. Self-employment is an important driver of entrepreneurship
and job creation and thus contributes to the development and growth in job
creation. Self-employment could be in agricultural sectors, wholesale and
retail trade, construction and in professional, scientific and technical
activities. Self-employment is regarded very highly as people do not only
provide themselves with work but employ others. It is seen as a way to reduce
poverty and unemployment and contributes to the government’s goal of achieving
higher growth and more jobs. According to European Employment Observatory Review
(2010), job creation through self-employment
is also a key feature of labour market policies in Bulgaria, France, Austria
and Iceland. Thus,
a man who is self employed is that person who owns, controls and takes
responsibilities for the actions concerning the business. These
responsibilities are included in the curriculum contents of NCE business education
programme in order to equip the students with the necessary skills, knowledge
and attitude for either paid or self employment.
Curriculum
refers to all students’ school experiences relating to the improvement of
skills and strategies in thinking critically and creatively, solving problems,
working collaboratively with others, communicating well, writing more
effectively, reading more analytically, and conducting research to solve
problems (Brown,
2006). According to Silva (2009) curriculum emphasises on what students
can do with knowledge, rather than what units of knowledge they have, the
essence of 21st-century skills. Curriculum refers to a group of
courses or planned experiences in proper sequence of topics designed to prepare
an individual for efficient service in a specific vocation, it is the offering
of a socially valued knowledge, skills and attitudes that is made available to
students through a variety of arrangements in schools, colleges or the
universities or other arrangements (Adebayo & Lawal, 2011). Business Education curriculum therefore has to do with the
goals, contents, learning experiences, implementation and evaluation of the
outcome of a learning programme.
The
curriculum content of business education programme consists of different
courses with different objectives. These courses formed the curriculum contents
of Business Education programme at the College of Education level with the aim
of helping to bring about the desired behaviour in the learner (Inegbedion,
Njoku & Ekpeyoung, 2009). Inegbedion, Njoku & Ekpeyoung (2009),
enumerated the specific subjects to be learnt by students at the College of
Education level as follow: Business Communication, Business Mathematics,
Auditing & Taxation, Business Finance and Economics, Business Law, Business
Statistics, Commerce, Computer Application, Cost Accounting, Financial
accounting, Methodology, Office Practice, Principles of Marketing, Principles
of Management, Research, Shorthand Theory, Typewriting (Keyboarding),
Entrepreneurship, and SIWES. According to Ezeani (2012), business education is
however, broadly divided into three areas, which provide many career
opportunities in Business Education such as - Marketing/Distributive education:
retailing, wholesaling, advertising and public relation; Accounting Education:
record keeping, preparation of financial report, auditing, consultancy services,
and Office/Technology education: word processing, data management, Cyber cafe
among others. Business education is a vital tool for entrepreneurship. It is
primarily concerned with assisting the individual to be useful as well as
improving their knowledge in the business world which will in turn lead to the
improvement of the society at large. Business Education curriculum at the College
of Education level equips the students with skills in entrepreneurship,
marketing, accounting, ICT and office management which will enable the students
become self employed on graduation.
Entrepreneurship
is a process of bringing together creative and innovative ideas, combining them
with management and organization skills in order to meet an identified need and
thereby create wealth (Agomuo, 2002). It is the willingness and ability of an
individual to seek out investment opportunities, establish and run an
enterprise successfully. Entrepreneurship is thus, the process of learning the
skills needed to assume the risk of establishing a business. Akpotowoh and
Amahi (2006) opined that the skills acquired in any of the functional areas of
business related progamme promotes training in entrepreneurship as well as
equip graduates with requisite potentials to establish and run small businesses
on their own. According to Ademiluyi (2007), entrepreneurship skills are simply
business skills which individuals acquire to enable them effectively function
in the turbulent business environment as an entrepreneur or self-employed.
Akinola (2001) pointed out that it takes special skills to succeed as an
entrepreneur most especially the female folks. The future of the female
entrepreneurs becomes worrisome due to gender-related discriminations prevalent
in developing countries like Nigeria inclusive (Roomi & Parrot, 2008; May,
2007; Otero, 1999). The females are also mostly affected by poverty and
unemployment than their male counterparts (Mohd & Hassan, 2008; Porter
& Nagarajan, 2005; Maduagwu, 2000). Moreover, the females lack interest in
discussing entrepreneurship issues with their family and friends, in addition
to their lack of self confidence (Shane, 2003). Erhurum (2007) also noted that
most entrepreneurial skills come by learning and practicing. Nevertheless, the
various skills embedded in business related programmes need to be explored and
learnt by prospective graduates for them to succeed as later entrepreneurs. it
is important therefore that every entrepreneur possesses the basic or
fundamental knowledge of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills
for effective management of the business.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
skill is defined as the ability to use digital technologies, communication
tools, and/or networks to solve information problems in order to function well
in an information society (Educational Testing Service (ETS), 2008). ICT skill
is the ability to use technology as a tool to research, organise, evaluate, and
communicate information and the possession of a fundamental understanding of
the ethical/legal issues surrounding the access and use of information. The ICT
skills required by NCE students are those outlined by Oliver and Towers (2000),
and Gnudi and Lorenzi, 2002) as the ability to: independently operate personal
computer systems; use software for preparing and presenting work; use internet
and its various features; access and use information from World Wide Web (WWW);
use an e-learning platform and perform data analysis with computer packages
like Excel, DBASE, and others. It is most unfortunate that business graduate
lack the skills of ICT in facilitating the marketing of goods and services, and
as such, limits the penetration and awareness of their products in the market.
Marketing
skills on the other hand are important and essential skills which determine the
extent of success or failure of a business. A business graduate should
understand marketing not in the old sense of making a sale – ‘telling and
selling’ – but in the modern sense of satisfying
customer’s needs. Selling occurs only after a product is produced. By
contrast, marketing starts long before a company has a product. Marketing is
the homework that managers undertake to assess needs, measure their extent and
intensity and determine whether a profitable opportunity exists (Kotler, Wong,
Saunders & Armstrong, 2005). Farese,
Kimbrell and Woloszyk (2006) defined marketing as the process of
planning, pricing, promoting, selling, and distributing ideas, goods,
or services to create exchanges that satisfy customers. This means that
marketing is a dynamic process. A marketer needs to keep up with trends
and consumer attitudes. The products, ideas, or services developed and
the way the products are priced, promoted, and distributed should reflect
these trends and attitudes. Business graduates require these marketing skills
in order to enable them identify their potential customers; persuade them to
buy their products or services, and by so doing
maintain good accounting practice and records to keep track of how much
money they have, where it came from, and how it is spent.
Accounting
is the systematic recording of financial transactions. It is a service
activity, the function of which is identifying, measuring, recording and
communicating quantitative information, primarily financial in nature, about
economic entities. Ezeani (2008) sees accounting as the process of expressing
the economic activities of everyday life in monetary terms, so as to estimate
the costs of creating goods and services, make decisions about production on
the basis of these estimates, compare the actual costs as they occur with the
estimate originally made, and adjust the output and prices of goods and
services accordingly. Business students should acquire knowledge and
competencies of financial accounting as success can only come through such
efforts. The entrepreneur should possess high level skills in preparing and
interpreting financial statements, maintain records of receipts and payments
(cash book), income and expenditure and a balance sheet for the business.
In spite of the
fact that Business Education programme equips individual with necessary skills
for self employment, Business Education graduates are yet to maximize these
opportunities in creating jobs for themselves and others instead, they roam the
streets in search of jobs, which are either few in supply or not available.
Even the few ones who try to establish businesses, before now, the businesses
have collapse as a result of poor location of business, creative thinking,
communication, marketing and keeping of
accounting records abilities (Osuala, 2004). Therefore, the skills possessed by
NCE business education students for self-employment in Cross River State is
doubtful considering the rate of unemployment in the State.
Statement of the Problem
One of the goals of NCE
business education programme is the acquisition of both physical and
intellectual skills which will enable individuals to be self- reliant and
useful members of the society. It is the statutory duty of the Nigerian higher
education to groom the required human capital through relevant manpower
training, abilities, attitudes, skills and knowledge. An outstanding human
capital assumption is that after finishing formal tertiary education, graduates
should be able to make a successful transition from these institutions of
higher learning to become productive workers, self-reliant entrepreneurs,
responsible parents, good citizens, selfless leaders, and live healthy lives.
It is assumed, also that on graduation, young people could have developed
additional skills through training and experience that could further enhance
their opportunities, capabilities and success in their life endeavour.
In
spite of available business opportunities, and conducive environment for
businesses to thrive in Cross River state, Business Education graduates are yet
to maximize these opportunities, by using their creative abilities in creating
jobs for themselves and others instead, the business graduates go about the
streets in search of jobs, which are either few in supply or not available.
This high rate of unemployment has generated frustration and low self-esteem
amongst NCE graduates in Cross River State, and has led to increased
vulnerability among some youths to drugs, disease, social instability, conflict,
militancy, hooliganism, greater poverty, thuggery,
arm robbery, restiveness, ethnic-political clashes and other social vices. Unemployment
has also led to the marginalization and exclusion of young people from social
activities and also, the affairs of government due to inferiority complex.
According to Uwem & Ndem (2012), unemployment has exposed Cross River
youths to greater risks of lower future wages, impose heavy social and economic
costs, which result not only in lost economic growth, but also in erosion of
the tax base, increased welfare costs, and unused investment in education and
training. It is very damaging for young people in particular and for societies
in general.
Self-employment
becomes the answer in addressing the unemployment issues in the State.
Ironically, most people engage into self-employment without acquiring much
skills and competences in management of the business activities, marketing and
creating awareness of the business products, and effectively keeping records of
the financial statements of the business, that will ensure successful
operations of the business; as a result of these attitudes, failure followed
instead of success. The business failure is not because the business graduates
do not have the necessary capital and machines to stay afloat, but because the
graduates lack the requisite skills in entrepreneurship, marketing, accounting
and communication and information technology, to deal with the process of
recognizing a business opportunity, operate and maintain such businesses as
well as grow from a small position to a bigger one. It is in this note that the
study seeks to determine the: creative, marketing, accounting and ICT skills
possessed by NCE business education students on graduation for self-employment and
sustainable development in Cross River State.
Purpose of the Study
The major purpose of the study was to determine
the self-employment skills possessed by Business Education students of Colleges
of Education for sustainable development in Cross River State. Specifically,
the study sought to determine the:
1. creative skills possessed by Business Education
students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development;
2. Information and Communication Technology skills
possessed by Business Education students of Colleges of Education for
sustainable development;
3. marketing skills possessed by Business
Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development; and
4. accounting skills possessed by Business
Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development.
Significance of the Study
The findings of this study would be of
benefits to the Government, the Society, Teachers, students, entrepreneurs, employers
of labour, and researchers. To the Government, the findings on creative skills possessed by Business Education students of
Colleges of Education for sustainable development would be of benefit because useful
guidelines for evaluating the products of business education programme for self-employment
would be provided. The feedback gotten from the evaluation of the business education
products would helps the government in channeling and providing a conducive
environment for self-employment to thrive. Also, the findings on creative
skills would be of benefit to the society by exposing the students to better
opportunities in job creation thus reducing the unemployment woes and improving
the standard of living of the society, reducing incidence of youth’s
restiveness and dropout since jobs would be created in the process.
The findings on
Information and Communication skills possessed by business education students
would be of benefit to the teachers and students. The findings would provide
information on ICT usage to the teachers for collaborative, creative, and
interactive teaching/learning process, thus, eliminating the artificial
separation between the different disciplines and between theory and practice
that characterizes the traditional approach. To the students, the findings
would expose to them the functionality of the various computer packages and
their application for success in self employment, and also to provide
opportunities for the students to work with people from different cultures
through the aid of communication devices, thereby helping to enhance learners
teaming and communication skills as well as their global awareness.
The findings on the
marketing skills possessed by business education students would be of benefit
to the entrepreneur in providing information on how to make vital business
decisions as “getting the price right” which is an important factor in retail
marketing. The acquisition of marketing skills will benefit the entrepreneur in
identifying their potential customers; persuade them to buy their product or
services. Also, sales and marketing
skills will keep the entrepreneur informed, knowledgeable and confident as to
determine the most efficient method of physical distribution of goods and services.
The
findings on accounting skills possessed by Business Education student would be
of benefit to employers of labour because the whole of business life revolves
within the ability to maintain accurate records of all business transaction in
an organisation. As such, the findings will reveal the necessary knowledge,
skills and attitude necessary for efficient planning and financial calculation
required for occupational competence, measurement of economic activities of an
organization, recording and communicating interest to parties for analysis and
interpretation.
Finally, the findings on self-employment
skills possessed by Business Education students of Colleges of Education would
be of benefit to future researchers as a reference point and a base for improving
the knowledge of the researcher; and also making more contributions to the
world of knowledge.
Research Questions
The following research
questions guided the study:
1. What are the creative skills possessed by
Business Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable
development in Cross River State?
2. What are the ICT skills possessed by Business
Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development in Cross River State?
3. What are the marketing skills possessed by Business
Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development in Cross River State?
4. What are the accounting skills possessed by
Business Education students of Colleges of Education for sustainable
development in Cross River State?
Research Hypotheses
The following null
hypotheses formulated for the study was tested at 0.05 level of significance:
Ho1: There is no significant difference in
the mean responses of NCE Business Education students of State and Federal
College of Education on the creative skills possessed for self-employment.
Ho2: There is no significant difference in
the mean responses of male and female students of business education in
Colleges of Education on the ICT skills possessed for self-employment.
Ho3: Location is not a significant source of
difference in the mean responses of business education students of Colleges of
Education in Cross River State on the marketing skills possessed for self-employment.
Ho4: There is no significant difference in
the mean responses of students of State and Federal Colleges of Education in
Cross River State on the accounting skills possessed for self-employment.
Delimitation of the Study
The
study wass focused on determining the self-employment skills possessed by Business Education
students of Colleges of Education for sustainable development in Cross River
State. Although there are many self-employment skills
a business graduate from the colleges of education should possess, this study
is only delimited to creative skills, marketing skills, accounting skills and
ICT skills possessed by business education students of College of Education
Akamkpa and Federal College of Education Obudu for self-employment and sustainable development in Cross River State.Get Complete Material Here>>>
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