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    Entreprenurial Skills

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    This document discusses entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurship education. It begins by providing context on the expansion of education programs globally and in Nigeria to address issues like unemployment. It then discusses the objectives of entrepreneurship education, including enabling self-employment, economic growth, and reducing poverty. The document outlines various entrepreneurial skills categorized as personal skills, interpersonal skills, critical/creative thinking skills, and practical skills. Finally, it discusses challenges to acquiring entrepreneurial skills like lack of access to finance and vocational training.

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    Entreprenurial Skills

    Uploaded by

    elem praise
    37 views6 pages
    This document discusses entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurship education. It begins by providing context on the expansion of education programs globally and in Nigeria to address issues like unemployment. It then discusses the objectives of entrepreneurship education, including enabling self-employment, economic growth, and reducing poverty. The document outlines various entrepreneurial skills categorized as personal skills, interpersonal skills, critical/creative thinking skills, and practical skills. Finally, it discusses challenges to acquiring entrepreneurial skills like lack of access to finance and vocational training.

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    ENTREPRENURIAL SKILLS

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    This document discusses entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurship education. It begins by providing context on the expansion of education programs globally and in Nigeria to address issues like unemployment. It then discusses the objectives of entrepreneurship education, including enabling self-employment, economic growth, and reducing poverty. The document outlines various entrepreneurial skills categorized as personal skills, interpersonal skills, critical/creative thinking skills, and practical skills. Finally, it discusses challenges to acquiring entrepreneurial skills like lack of access to finance and vocational training.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    37 views6 pages

    Entreprenurial Skills

    Uploaded by

    elem praise
    This document discusses entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurship education. It begins by providing context on the expansion of education programs globally and in Nigeria to address issues like unemployment. It then discusses the objectives of entrepreneurship education, including enabling self-employment, economic growth, and reducing poverty. The document outlines various entrepreneurial skills categorized as personal skills, interpersonal skills, critical/creative thinking skills, and practical skills. Finally, it discusses challenges to acquiring entrepreneurial skills like lack of access to finance and vocational training.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 6

    ENTREPRENURIAL SKILLS

    BY
    DR. U.J. NWOGU

    DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT


    FACULTY OF EDUCATION
    UNIVERSITY OF PORT HARCOURT

    INTRODUCTION

    The education industry the world over is involved in massive expansion of its
    programmes as a response to globalization and unemployment. Nigeria is not left
    out of this challenge hence the incorporation of entrepreneurship education in all
    courses as a way of equipping the Nigerian graduate with skills geared towards
    self-employment, employment creation and self-actualization.

    Nwogu and Nnorom (2013) observed that:


    This expansion justifies the realization by the government and all
    stakeholders that education indeed is the key to overall national
    development. It is an instrument for poverty alleviation, political
    sensitization and participation, economic development and
    transformation, cultural and religious change, social and
    technological development and indeed the making of the new
    man. (p.114)

    This new man by implication should be able to take care of himself through job
    creation and active productivity. Unfortunately, the unemployment ratio of
    graduates has compounded the expectation of stakeholders from the education
    sector hence the urgent need for a radically practical oriented education
    programme with skill acquisition emphasis. This new emphasis on the acquisition
    of skills is a self-realization attempt to rediscover ourselves as a people. Why?

    Nwogu and Nnorom (2013) observed that:

    1
    In all societies whether literate or illiterate, democratic or
    egalitarian, civilized or uncivilized, education has served as an
    instrument for development… it is an instrument for societal
    growth, change and transformation… the traditional African
    society recognized the role of education and utilized it for
    societal growth. Every individual member of the society received
    a high dosage of education appropriate for his attitude and
    mentality. This all embracing education did not produce
    applicants and unemployment. Every individual acquired
    appropriate skills in line with his/her ability. (p.114)

    However, the introduction of western education altered this practically oriented


    education system. The educated man was conceived to be the man who had the
    skill to read, write and do simple arithmetic. Its products were to serve as clerks
    and interpreters who depended on employers.

    Fafunwa (2004) while appreciating the ideals of traditional education retorted that:
    One very significant point that should be mentioned about the
    traditional African education is the provision it makes for the
    training of the handicapped person in order to make him a
    contributing member of the society. The lame and the hunchback,
    for example are taught sedentary occupations such as weaving, or
    carving, or black smithery. Such persons are also trained as
    priests, barbers, native doctors and the like particularly among
    the Yoruba. (p. 22)

    In fact, the short comings of the inherited colonial education led to the Phelp
    Stroke Commission of1925 which recommended that education in the colonial
    territories should be adapted to the mentalities and cultures of the recipient nation.

    Furthermore, education received should be a basis for technological development,


    be adequately planned and restructured to accommodate drop out and to promote
    “Learning to be” “learning to live” and not learning to pass examination. The
    inability of our educational products to effectively respond to these goals of

    2
    “Learning to be” and “learning to live” justifies the current emphasis f or
    entrepreneurship skills.

    Objectives of Entrepreneurship Education

    Every entrepreneurship education according to Paul (2005) and Nwufo (2012) is


    structured to achieve the following objectives:

    1. To offer functional education for the youth that will enable them to be self-
    employed and self-reliant.
    2. To serve as a catalyst for economic growth and development.
    3. To offer tertiary institution graduates with adequate training in risk
    management to make certain risk bearable and feasible.
    4. To reduce high rate of poverty.
    5. Provide the youths/graduates with skills and support that will enable them
    establish a career in small and medium sized business.
    6. To inculcate the spirit of perseverance in the youth and adults which will
    enable them to persist in any business venture.
    7. To create smooth transition from traditional to a modern industrial economy

    Entrepreneurial Skills

    The chambers Dictionary defined skills as expertness: a craft or accomplishment,


    aptitudes and competences appropriate for a particular job; an expert knowledge.

    Therefore an individual who intends to be a successful entrepreneur must possess


    some skills. Toback (2013) identified some skills needed by any entrepreneur,
    these include:

    1. Seeing the big picture


    2. Hunger to achieve
    3. Courage
    4. Functional competence
    5. Prioritization and trade offs
    6. Motivational skills
    7. Decision making skills
    8. Adaptability skills
    9. Initiative skills

    3
    10.Command and control skills

    But to mind tools editorial team (2017) entrepreneurial skills could be sub-divided
    into four namely:

    (a) Personal skills


    (b) Interpersonal skills
    (c) Critical and creative thinking skills
    (d) Practical skills

    Personal Skills: These skills include:

    1. Optimism which represent the ability of the entrepreneur to go or endure


    tough times.
    2. Vision – Ability to see where things can be improved and create a
    compelling vision and then inspire others.
    3. Initiative
    4. Desire for control (motivation to lead others)
    5. Drive and persistence
    6. Risk tolerance
    7. Resilience (picking oneself up when things don’t work and overcoming fear
    of failure).

    Interpersonal Skills: This involves working closely with people and building
    strong relationships. The skills here include:

    1. Leadership and motivation (delegation etc.).


    2. Communication skills.
    3. Listening skills (active listening and empathy).
    4. Personal relationships (emotional intelligence).
    5. Negotiation.
    6. Ethics – integrity, fairness and intelligence.

    Critical and Creative Skills: This requires the ability to independently come up
    with fresh ideas, make good decisions about projects and opportunities. It’s
    components are:

    1. Creative thinking

    4
    2. Problem solving and
    3. Problem solving and recognition of opportunities.

    Practical Skills: This involves:

    - Goal setting
    - Planning and organizing
    - Decision making

    However, in another dimension Sujan (2014) postulated some skills needed by


    every entrepreneur:

    1. Ability to manage money


    2. Ability to raise money
    3. Ability to relieve stress
    4. Ability to be productive
    5. Ability to have and make entrepreneur friends
    6. Ability to identify strengths and weaknesses
    7. Ability to hire effective people
    8. Ability to train new staff
    9. Ability to manage staff
    10.Ability to connect via social networking
    11.Ability to close a sale
    12.Ability to identify new friends
    13.Ability to deal with failure
    14.Ability to improve your world
    15.Ability to focus on your customers

    Challenges to Entrepreneurial Skills

    1. Inadequate access to finance and absence of a credit policy that address


    specific needs of enterprises.
    2. Frequent political and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
    3. Poor access to vocational skills especially by the poor rural dwellers.
    4. Presence of administrative and trade barriers that curtail capacity building
    and inhibit access to technical support.

    5
    5. Corruption and greed in all sectors that tend to cripple laws that promote free
    enterprise.

    References

    Fafunwa, A.B. (2004). History of Education in Nigeria. Ibadan: Dafemson Printing


    & Park Ltd.

    Jayson, D. (2014). 5 skills every successful entrepreneur must master. Retrieved


    from: www.entrepreneur.com/article 236128.

    Nwogu, U.J. & Nnorom, C.I. (2013). Managing entrepreneurship education for
    national security in Nigeria. Research in education 19(1) 114 – 118.

    Nwufo, K. (2012). Entrepreneurship education in Nigeria: In U.M.O. Ivowi, &


    B.B. Akpan, Education in Nigeria from the beginning to the future. A
    book of reading in honour of Prof. O.C. Nwanna. Lagos: Formost
    educational services.

    Paul, E.O. (2005). Entrepreneurship education. In P.N. Ezema, E.O. Paul, B.O.
    anosike & A. Godwin (eds) Entrepreneurship in vocational education.
    Enugu: Ozybel pub.

    Sujan, P. (2014). The 17 skills required to succeed as an entrepreneur. Retrieved


    from www.entrepreneur.com/article 236128

    www. Entrepreneur.com. 242327

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