Entrepreneurship refers to an
personal or individuals ability to change or turn ideas into action or
practice. Entrepreneurial programmes and modules offer students the tool to
think creatively (ie invocation) it has to do with the ability to uses their
initiatives in establishing new things our of the existing once or to modernize the existing once.
Educational for entrepreneurship can be particularly effective in initial
vocational training, as students are close to entering work life and
self-employment may be a valuable
option for them.
Vocational education training takes
a variety of farm in different countries, but also within a country.
Entrepreneurship is included in the national curricula
for vocational educational in a
majority of European generally well established, particularly in countries
where a “dual system” is in place, it can be however difficult to ensure the
participation of small and micro enterprises.
Regardless of the vocational training are of the most
effective way to teach, entrepreneurships to have students participate in
practical projects and activities, in which learning by doing a emphasized and
real experience with entrepreneurship is gained problem driven and experience
–oriented education is essential to fostering entrepreneurial mindsets and
abilities. The most commonly use teaching methods are lectures, computer
simulations and business games, student companies, project work and group work
company visits and work placements. Although a wide range of pedagogical tools
are in place there seems to be in general a gap however between the teaching
methods considered being most effective and those that are currently used.
One explanation may be that not all teachers choose to
or are able to use active teaching methods. Another problem is linked to the
lack of an interdisciplinary way of working on concrete projects. The current
situation is that most teachers have not be trained in entrepreneurship consequently,
they may be unaware of the right approach to entrepreneurship teaching initial
and further teacher training of the highest importance, but entrepreneurship
education is not yet included systematically in training programmes for
educators. In many cases, on the job training is provided by external
organizations. The most effective way to ensure that teacher competence in this
field is adequate and up-to-date would be to make entrepreneurship a mandatory
part of teacher education it is also important to offer further education to
those teachers who have already competed their initial or educational. For
public authorities, the first step for a cohe-approach would be to set up a
steering or coordinating committee for entrepreneurship education at a nation
or regional level, with representative from both the ministry of education and
the ministry of economy and with the participation of other relevant
departments and organization (including business associations and NGOs).
As a following step, introducing
entrepreneurship as an explicit goal in the curriculum will be a clear signal
that important for every student moreover, it will make it easier for teachers
to spend teaching hour on the subject. A
general trend can now be observed in the shift of national curricula from
contents to competences. This process should continue strengthening competence
based teaching and learning makes it easier for entrepreneurship to be included
in school programmes. Among other recommended
measures for public authorities are the following:
·
-Make career
exploration mandatory, and include entrepreneurship in vocational guidance;
·
Provide
counseling for schools and teachers in designing vocational education training
curricula, and disseminate successful experiences and practices between
vocational education training schools;
·
Support those
non-profit organizational and NGOs
whose mission is promoting and delivering entrepreneurship education,
and which act as intermediaries between vocational schools and businesses.
·
Extend
entrepreneurship to all fields of study in vocational education: link practical
training in specific fields of study with objective of entrepreneurship, and
provide support for student’s interest in starting up a business.
·
Make use of
methods based on real experience (project work with real enterprises or with
the local community, student mini-companies etc.
·
Ensure access to
experts (from business, business associations, and NGOs ) who can provide
training and ongoing support
Finally
also actors have an important role to play:
·
Business associations should promote
partnership between vocational education training schools and enterprises and
motivate more business people to get involved in entrepreneurship education
·
The European
commission has a role in contributing to the exchange of good practices
experiences and methods, in raising
awareness and in monitoring and benchmarking
the process in EU member states.
In addition vocational education and training (ie
vocational programmes differ from academic ones in their curriculum and in
their aim of generally preparing students for specific types of occupations and
in some cases, for direct entry into the labour market.
Entrepreneurial programmes and
modules offer students the tools to think creatively, to be an effective
problem solver, to analyze a business idea objectively, and to communicate
network, lead, and evaluate any given
project. Student fell more confident about setting up their own businesses if
they can lest their ideas in an educational, supportive environment. However,
the benefits of entrepreneurship education are not limited to boosting
start-ups, innovative ventures and new jobs.
Entrepreneurship is a competence for everyone, helping g young people to
be more creative and self –confident I whatever they undertake.
The recommendation of the European
parliament and the council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong
learning / identifies the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship’ as one of
eight key competencies to be instilled at all stages of education and training.
Joint analysis by the commission and
national authorities shows that although numerous initiatives on
entrepreneurship education are under way at all levels across the EU, most of
them are neither integrated into the curriculum nor form part of a coherent
framework, and that as a result most students cannot yet take part in
entrepreneurship courses and programmes.
Education for entrepreneurship can be particularly
effective in initial vocational training, as students are close to learning
working life and self employment may be a valuable option for them. However, a
real focus on entrepreneurship is missing in most cases, since the main task is
seen as being to produce skilled workers.
OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY
This European project was developed under the
Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme CIP (2007-2013) by using
the “Best procedure”. The
“Best procedure “ was set up (under
a mandate form the Lisbon council in 2000) to
promote the exchange of best
practice and to create synergies between existing processes. Best procedure projects analyze issues of
interest for the commission and national administrations to provide a better
understanding of their nature and of the work being done on them, and to
identify best practice.
The aim is to encourage policy change in the member
states and in the other participating countries, and one of the essential
features of this methodology is that projects are carried out jointly by the
commission and by the national administrations concerned.
This project builds on the commission communication
fostering entrepreneurial mindsets through education and learning, adopted in
February 2006, and on the Oslo agenda for
entrepreneurship education in Europe.
An expert group was set up to
gather and exchange information on the teaching of entrepreneurship in
vocational education, and to propose appropriate measures. National governments were asked by the
commission to designate an expert.
Representatives of certain European organization and networks active in
the field were also invited to participate as observers (the compete list of
experts appears at the beginning of this report.
As apart of its work the expert group reviewed
existing programmes and examples of
good practices
More specifically, the main objectives of this work
were the following:
·
To review
existing programmes and the most commonly used teaching methods:
·
To gather
information on existing good practice and provide examples.
·
To identify the
factors of success and the main obstacles
·
To identify and
exchange best practice in promoting learning about entrepreneurship
·
To promote the
exchange of experience
·
To highlight the
role of public policies and identify relevant support measures;
·
To draw
conclusions and recommendations for policy action.
The
tasks of the group were: to bring together the necessary expertise; to provide
information and data on existing programmes; to ensure cooperation with ad the
active involvement of the national administrations in the participating countries.
In a nutshell the relationship among them is that they deal
with transforming ideals, skills, innovations etc into effective practice or
creativities through training and individuals.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Educational system varies from one
country to another, depending on the needs goals, aspiration and philosophy
of education of the country in
question. Since education has been seen
as an instrument for scientific and technological development, almongst others,
the federal government of Nigeria on the national policy on education listed
five main national goals of her
education system among which are
1. A united strong and self reliant nation
2. A great dynamic economy from the on going vocational
technical education and training is that
form of education that leads to the acquisition of practical skills, which will
enable an individual to be gainfully employed in a chosen occupation or
become self reliant vocational technical
education according to Raymond
(2007) is about work and training for work . One of the
goals of the technical and vocation
education is stated
In the national policy on education is to give
training and impact the necessary skills to individuals who shall be self
reliant. It this goals is adequately achieved, it would lead to a sustainable
technological development whose total inducement is for national development
Entrepreneurship and enterprising behaviour are important
objective for education and life long learning policies in the European union
as a whole as well as an individual
member states. It is seen
as a source of flexibility and innovation as a creator of jobs for the economy and at the same time as
an interesting possibility for individual
development, fulfillment and citizenship. An
overview is given of the representation of entrepreneurship in innovation vocational and
higher education and of the views of students and teacher in these project.
Finally, these are presented concerning improvement in the development of
entrepreneurship and enterprising competencies by educational
innovation.
CHAPTER TWO
CONCEPT OF VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Vocational technical education is a very important aspect of the
Nigeria educational system under the 6-3-3-4
programmes it develops
occupational competence and teachers those
skills which enable an individual earn a living . The national policy on education define
vocational technical education as that aspect
of education which leads to the acquisition of practical and
applied skills as well as basic scientific knowledge. Technical vocational education as viable
industries and a prerequisite to new world technological order and therefore
requires adequate support of human and material resources. The proramme include numerous occupational areas such as agrcu7lture,
various trades, health services and
technical training . Vocational technical education and training therefore can be defined as an educational
training which has been designed technical and systematically to accommodate
both the trainer and the trainee in order to enable most importantly the tranee
acquire the basic knowledge to skills,
abilities understanding and attitudes needed for ones efficient performance in his/ her chosen occupational carrier for self
–reliance and national development.
PHILOSOPHY OF VOCATIONAL
AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
The philosophy and
objective of vocational and technical education ca be found only in the
general philosophy and objective of secondary
educational under which
vocational and technical education are usually subsumed.
Secondary
education in the Nigeria context
includes vocational and technical education. however, the Nigerian education act and the education law do not show agreement n the
definition of a secondary school but have
always understood to include
vocational and technical education. Vocational and technical education
is still regarded as another secondary
education without a clear delineation of its philosophies and objectives.
The
philosophy of secondary education, which
of course include vocational and technical education has been well
documented by Taiwo et al (1970)
1.
To inculcate the spirit of self reliance industry
and versatility
2.
To impress on the
students their privileges and responsibilities as citizens at Nigeria
3.
To develop and
project Nigerian cultured art and languages
4.
To Whom It May
Concern: equip the students to live effectively
in a modern age of science and
technology
5.
To afford a large
number of children the opportunity of education of high quality irrespective of their social background.
FUNCTION AND OBJECTIVE OF
VOCATIONAL AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION
1.
To stimulate and encourage creativity
2.
To equip school
leavers with skills to earn a living
3.
To provide the
awareness that technology does not only solve problems but create some as well
4.
To help develop
the right attitude towards work and the habits of mind conducive to the proper
use of technology
TO ACHIEVE THE ABOVE
OBJECTIVE
1.
Vocational and technical education should form a part at general educational
for every secondary school pupils irrespective of his or her future
career
2.
Vocational and technical education should provide an
orientation and preparation for those who
have the aptitude and desire to pursue
advanced technological education in the polytechnic and universities
3.
Vocational and technical education should provided
orientation and basic skill with which
to start a life of work for the vast majority of pupils who do not fall under number 2 above.
CHALLENGES FACING VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION
AND TRAINING FOR SELF RE-LIANCE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
1.
Lack of skilled
man power
2.
Acute
shortage of vocational technical
teachers.
3.
Lack of adequate training facilities and equipment
4.
Inadequate
vocational technical education policies
5.
Lack of follow up
and continuity in government policies
6.
Poor funding of
vocational technical education
7.
Poor remuneration of vocational teacher
CHAPTER THREE
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
IN VOCATIONAL AND HIGHER
EDUCATION
In vocational education curricular attentions to
entrepreneurship is not new. This focuses on managerial knowledge and a lesser
degree skills are available,
explicitly arming at
entrepreneurships diverging from trade
and commerce training to entrepreneurial
qualifications and specializations
in training systems for bakes, ceramists or hair dresses.
Several schools are identifying entrepreneurship more
ideal in specific learning objective and
developing more integrated curricula . there ear interesting project
aimed at the intensification and
enrichment of traditional activities around business plans as included in many
trade training courses as one teacher said business plan should not be made for the bank
but e an inspiration for business.
INTEGRAL
AND DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH
Although,
at all educational levels, initiatives
and good practice were found a differentiated but coherent and interactive approach from primary
education to university and continuing and adult education is skill to be developed.
Some of inspiration are found in the LCEE model. The model as adopted by the prgoramme, starts
with more general promotion of entrepreneurial attitudes in early states to a more specifically elaborated development of entrepreneurial competences in
later stages of education.
The modern connect to new development in career and
vocational guidance in
secondary and vocational education. Entrepreneurship should be promoted as a real and attractive to active
employee ship
It is important to take into account the different
types of entrepreneurial skills
distinguished in the research
report key skills and personal qualities
management competencies and entrepreneurial
competencies. In enterprise oriented educational on the other hand, the focus of mainly on the last dimension (management skill). This also reflected in business schools that mainly
prepare students for management in big business rather than for
entrepreneurship.
CONCLUSION
However, lessons drawn from an international search
for literature and entrepreneurship promoting projects. In many respects, the
Dutch situation s comparable with other European countries. The non-acceptance
of conational technical education and training as a means of intervention in the normal course
of development by Nigeria’s has brought a setback in our national development which must be addressed.
However, an
attempt was made in this paper to critically examines all the major concept and
emphasized the role of vocational technical educational and training for self –reliance and natural
development. Despite, all these things checked were challenges pointed out
which if not checked properly will not allow the timid population of the Nigeria people
grow and became self reliant as to bring
about natural development.
EFERENCES
1. Igweh A.U
(2008) Vocational Technical Education
2. Musa J.C.S
(1986) Planning Development
in Education
3. Klandt. H (1998) Entrepreneurship Education at the
European
Business School.
4. Kuip. I. Vander
(1998) Early Development of Entrepreneurial qualities
5. International Consortium for Entrepreneurship
Education CICEE(1998 )