Title: Scaffolding career skills with entrepreneurial skills for youths' employment in Nigeria: attitude, social influence as moderators

Authors: Isidore Ekpe; Norsiah Mat; Simeon Anifowose; Mary Olufunmilayo Adelaiye; Godwin Omogbai Ofeimun

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Anchor University, Ayobo-Ipaja, Lagos State, Nigeria ' Department of Human Resources Management, School of Business Management, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah, Malaysia ' Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Social and Management Sciences, Anchor University, Ayobo-Ipaja, Lagos State, Nigeria ' Department of Business Administration and Management, Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, Bauchi State, Nigeria ' Department of Accounting and Finance, Faculty of Humanities, Social and Management Sciences, Edwin Clark University, Kiagbodo, Delta State, Nigeria

Abstract: Among other objectives, this study sought to examine the relationship between career skills and entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial opportunities among undergraduate youths in Nigeria. The purpose was to enable the government develop appropriate educational curriculum that would meet the employability needs of Nigerian youths upon graduation. Proportionate stratified random sampling was used to select sample members from 629 third year undergraduate students from three universities in the north, east and west regions of Nigeria. With the use of probability sampling, sample members were selected from the list of registered 300 level students in the faculties. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical regression were used to analyse data. One of the results indicated that combining career training with entrepreneurial education could lead to self-employment among Nigerian youths after graduation. Therefore, the government should make entrepreneurship studies a compulsory 8-semester course in all undergraduate degree programs in Nigeria. The study was limited to Universities.

Keywords: career skills; entrepreneurial skills; entrepreneurial opportunities; attitude; social influence; Nigerian youths.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMIE.2021.114940

International Journal of Management in Education, 2021 Vol.15 No.3, pp.199 - 215

Received: 08 Feb 2020
Accepted: 20 May 2020
Published online: 12 May 2021 *

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