CHAPTER ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION

1.1   BACKGROUND OF STUDY

Nigeria views education of her citizens as a means for the realization of her desires of having a strong and self-reliant nation. Moreover, the government sees the education of her citizens as a means of acquiring appropriate skills, abilities, competencies and the right type of values for their survival and the survival of the Nigerian society.

        Majority of Nigerian graduates are unemployed (Adejimola & Olufunmilayo, 2009), thereby making the government to introduce entrepreneurship education in 2006 into the curriculum of tertiary education in the country and made it compulsory irrespective of an area of specialization.

This is with a view to ensuring that undergraduates are equipped with relevant skills that may facilitate self-survival and self-employment. The major goals of any nation are geared towards the economic empowerment of her citizens, hence the government anticipated that by 2010, 50,000 graduates who would have gone through the system are entrepreneurial skilled and with 5% of them being self-employed and self-reliant (Rufai, 2006). Therefore, there is the need to investigate the extent to which entrepreneurship education has impacted on the career development of University undergraduates in university of Mkar, Nigeria.

Entrepreneurship Education according to Haase & Lautenschlager (2011) is an important factor in developing individuals’ entrepreneurial motivation, knowledge and skills. An entrepreneur is a risk taker (Ifedili & Ofoegbu, 2011). Torre (2015) also opined that entrepreneurship is the ability of individuals to undertake risk along with factors of production in order to create goods and services.

It can be argued also as the readiness and ability of an individual to look for investment opportunities in an environment, and be able to set up a business and manage it effectively. According to a (2009) publication of the Education Ministry, Finland, entrepreneurship education is a more encompassing concept when compared to entrepreneurship as a practice of business deal. When conceptualized it has to with training and entrepreneurship.

According to the same publication the components of entrepreneurship education include an active and resourceful person, an environment conducive to learning, education and training, an active policy that promotes enterprise. Entrepreneurship education generates entrepreneurs at all levels of the society and strengthens and creates business.

 It is an aspect of lifelong education in which entrepreneurial techniques are developed and replaced as one grows higher. It has to do with life management interaction, self-guided action, a capacity for innovation and an ability and readiness to encounter change. These factors are directed and propelled by education and training (Finland, 2009).

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The study on the impact of entrepreneurship education on undergraduate career development came about as a result unemployed graduates having inability to think and create something new that can fetch them money, difficulties on how to go about the proposed business plan in other to make it a reality, inability to run a feasibility studies due to lack of training and exposure. Finally, most of the research has been carried out entrepreneurship education but not even a single research has been carried out on the impact of entrepreneurship education on undergraduate career development (A case study of university of Mkar Nigeria).

1.3   AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF STUDY

The main aim of this research work is to determine the impact of entrepreneurship education on undergraduate career development. Other specific objectives include:

1. to determine the effect of entrepreneurship education on career development.
2. to determine the relationship between entrepreneurship education and career development.
3. to determine the factor affecting entrepreneurship education on career development.
4. to determine the extent to which entrepreneurship education influence career development.
5. to determine the extent which entrepreneurship education provide training that will make undergraduates creative and innovative.
6. to proffer possible solutions to the problems.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS               

1. What is the effect of entrepreneurship education on career development?
2. What is the relationship between entrepreneurship education and career development?
3. What is the factor affecting entrepreneurship education on career development?
4. What is the extent to which entrepreneurship education influence career development?
5. To what extent will entrepreneurship education provide training that will make undergraduates creative and innovative?
6. What are the possible solutions to the problems?

1.5   STATEMENT OF RESEARCH HYPOTHESIS

H0:    Entrepreneurship education has no significant effect on career development of an undergraduate.

H1:         Entrepreneurship education has a significant effect on career development of an undergraduate.

1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The study on the impact of entrepreneurship education on undergraduate career development will be of immense help to the university of Mkar, Nigeria in the sense that it will widen the sense and understanding of the students not to sit down and wait for white collar jobs, but that they can graduate and become the bosses of their own by creating something new in other to employ others. More also, those that are opportune to have white collar jobs can still venture into their personal businesses thereby having multiple source of income that can cater for their daily needs. Finally the study will contribute to the body of existing literature and knowledge in this field of study and provide a basis for further research.

1.7   SCOPE OF STUDY

The study on the impact of entrepreneurship education on undergraduate career development is limited to Mkar, university of Nigeria.

1.8   LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

1.9   DEFINITION OF TERMS

Impact    A marked effect or influence.

Entrepreneurship   Is the process of designing, launching and running a new business, which is often initially a small business.

Education       Is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.

Undergraduate                Is a colloquial term for an academic degree taken by a person who has completed  courses.

Career     An occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress.

Development  An event constituting a new stage in a changing situation.