Perceptions of Capacity Building among Youths Involved In Vocational Skills Development

Abstract

As a way of tackling youth unemployment in Nigeria, the National Directorate of Employment provides capacity building in the form of vocational skills development for unemployed youths who lack skills in their areas of interest and are eager to acquire relevant skills. This paper examined the youths’ perceptions of the components or dimensions of capacity building imparted in them. A structured survey questionnaire was used in collecting data to ascertain the levels of capacity building among the participants, while descriptive statistics was employed in analyzing the data. Findings from the study revealed that a greater percentage of the sampled youth reported high and moderate levels of their capacity building- implying that the vocational skills development was a successful scheme. It is however recommended that constraints that impede the success of the scheme be addressed by policy makers to make the outcome of the skills training more successful.

Entrepreneurial Skill Acquisition and Youth’s Self-Employment in Malaysia: How Far?

“…Attitudinal studies (e.g Ajzen, 1991) have also shown that a person's attitude correlates with his/her intention or commitment. Previous literature (Amadi, 2012;Ojo, 2009;Shane, 2003) have agreed that entrepreneurial skill acquisition is positively related to opportunity for self-employment. However, self-motivation can aid or hamper this relationship because a graduate who had received entrepreneurial skill acquisition may not venture into entrepreneurship practice if he/she is risk-averse characterized person, has a negative attitude to hard work, and misuses the acquired knowledge, talent or skill.…”

“…Entrepreneurial skill acquisition is a process whereby a person acquires or learns a particular skill or type of behavior needed for business through training or education (Amadi, 2012;Chukwunenye & Igboke, 2011;Ibru, 2009;IFC, 2007) in order to identify and exploit entrepreneurial opportunity for self-employment (Samian & Buntat, 2012;Stohmeyer, 2007). It also helps entrepreneurs to acquire self-confidence, self-esteem and participate in decision-making at household and community levels (Cheston & Kuhn, 2002;Rufai et al, 2013).…”

“…It is also a vital source of developing human capital (Brana, 2008;Ikegwu, 2014). Though Rufai et al (2013) and Dasmani (2011) found that entrepreneurship graduates could not get employment because they possessed low skills and low self-confidence required by industries since there was no industrial exposures while in school, however; numerous studies asserted that skill training and tertiary education could lead to entrepreneurial activity or self-employment (Amadi, 2012;Salman, 2009;Stohmeyer, 2007). Skill acquisition training was found to have positive effect on entrepreneurial activity in Nigeria (Ebong et al, 2011;Ibru, 2009;Ikegwu, 2014).…”

Empowerment among small farmers of Sindh province, Pakistan

“…The breakdowns of respondents were Khairpur (155), Nawabshah (151) and Mirpurkhas (149), respectively. We followed the procedure with some modification given by previous authors such as Ciarrochi et al (2007), Schwarzer and Jerusalam (2010), Amadi and Abdullah (2012) respectively. The validity of questionnaire was prior analyzed and further validated by expert of committee of Universiti Putra Malaysia and Sindh Agriculture University, Pakistan.…”

Youth Empowerment Program In Nigeria: A Strategy For Poverty Alleviation And National Development

“…The creation of wealth and employment will lead to poverty alleviation as well as national development. According to Amadi and Abdullah (2012) revealed that youth empowerment scheme is a capacity-building that implies vocational training and skills development that prepare the youth to be more productive in society. Similarly, Kuti (2006) refers youth empowerment as a form of human development intervention that offers an opportunity for a wide range of vocational skills training for the youths due to their socioeconomic situations which hinders their general wellbeing.…”