REPOSITIONING OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT AS A TOOL FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION GRADUATES IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

The comprehensive objective of this study was to empirically examine the repositioning of Entrepreneurship development as a tool for sustainable employment of Business Education graduates in Rivers State. The study was guided by two research questions and two corresponding hypotheses. A descriptive survey design was adopted, and a total of 100 graduates, both male and female, were sampled. Data were collected using a 10-item structured questionnaire developed by the researcher to address the research questions. The instrument was validated by two experts, one in Business Education and one in Measurement and Evaluation.  Reliability of the instrument was established using the test-retest method, yielding a reliability coefficient of 0.75. Collected data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions, while the z-test was employed to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 significance level. The findings indicated that fostering creativity, innovation, and effective curriculum implementation are key factors for repositioning entrepreneurship development to enhance sustainable employment among Business Education graduates in Rivers State. Additionally, there was no statistically significant difference between male and female respondents regarding the effectiveness of entrepreneurship development initiatives. The study recommends among others that the government should support entrepreneurship education through adequate funding.