IMPROVING ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT OF BUSINESS EDUCATION GRADUATES IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated how improving entrepreneurship development can enhance sustainable employment opportunities for Business Education graduates in Rivers State. The study was anchored on the growing need to equip graduates with relevant entrepreneurial competencies capable of reducing the high unemployment rate and promoting self-reliance. Three research questions and three corresponding hypotheses guided the study. A descriptive survey research design was adopted, and area of the study was in Rivers State. a sample of 100 male and female graduates was selected for the study. Data were collected using a structured 10-item questionnaire developed by the researcher to generate responses on key indicators of entrepreneurship development improvement. The instrument yielded relevant data, which were analyzed using mean and standard deviation for the research questions, while the z-test statistic was employed to test the hypotheses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that strengthening creativity, innovation, and effective curriculum implementation are essential strategies for improving entrepreneurship development to achieve sustainable employment among Business Education graduates in Rivers State. The results further indicated no statistically significant difference between male and female respondents regarding the perceived effectiveness of entrepreneurship development initiatives. Based on these findings, the study recommends that government and relevant stakeholders should provide strong support by ensuring sufficient funding, ensure continuous curriculum review, and integrate comprehensive entrepreneurship training into the NYSC programme.