ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING STRATEGY AND INTENTION OF SERVING YOUTH CORP MEMBERS IN KWARA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Massive unemployment of graduates in the country can be traced to the problem of disequilibrium between labour market requirements and lack of employable skills by graduates. To stem the tide in the unemployment menace and in view of the enormous positive socio-economic benefits of entrepreneurship training, the National Youth Service Corp introduced the Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurial Development Programme to advance entrepreneurial thinking and behaviour to develop serving corp members’ awareness of the relevance of entrepreneurship training. This study examined the effect of entrepreneurial training on entrepreneurial intention of serving youth corp members in Kwara State, Nigeria. Data for the study were obtained from primary sources with the aid of a structured questionnaire. The study in its descriptive nature adopted a survey design. Regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis at 5% level of significance. The findings from the data analysis revealed that Entrepreneurial Training (measured by NYSC skill acquisition and entrepreneurial development programs) had significant impact on entrepreneurial intention). Based on the findings, the study concluded that entrepreneurship training significantly affect entrepreneurial intention among serving youth corp members. The study recommended that immense energy should further be gathered for improvement in the field of entrepreneurship training so as to encourage serving youth corp members involvement and thereby creating and producing graduates who are job creator and self reliant. Also, the current tempo of entrepreneurial training should not only be maintained and sustained but improved upon in line with the complexities of the environment.