INTRODUCTION
1.0 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDYBusiness Education is an educational programme that prepares students for entry and advancement in jobs within business and to handle their business affairs as well as to function intelligently as consumers and citizens in a business economy. Osuala (2004) defined business education as that aspect of vocational education, which emphasizes job competency, career preparation and work adjustments. It involves acquisition of special skills in business subject areas. Njoku (2006) defined business education as an educational programme that equips individuals with functional and sustainable skills, knowledge, attitude and value that would enable the individuals operate in the environment such individuals find themselves. Business education programme is offered at various levels of tertiary education: Universities, Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education.
College of Education according to the Nigerian Academy of Management Administration (2014) is an educational programme created to prepare individuals to be leaders and practitioners in education and related human service fields by expanding and deepening understanding of education as a fundamental human endeavour in helping society define and respond to its educational responsibilities and challenges. At this level of education, the programme prepares the individual for a career in teaching, employment in industries, civil service and business establishment as well as self-employment (Ubong & Wokocha, 2009). There are two Colleges of Education in Cross River State: Federal College of Education Obudu, located at the urban area of the State, has a better and conducive environment and opportunities for entrepreneurship to thrive unlike the College of Education Akamkpa, which is located at the rural area of the State, which is characterized by lack of market and infrastructural facilities for businesses to flourish. However, both Colleges run a Business Education programme, which lead to the award of Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) after three years of full-time postsecondary study.
The Business Education programme is very relevant in Cross River State, which is tagged a “Civil Service State” due to few companies, industries and businesses that employ the youths, thus, the burden of employment in the State lies mainly on Government. The lack of employment generating agencies has led to high rate of unemployment in the State since the government alone cannot absorb all the graduates, including NCE graduates. Evidence of unemployment and under-employment in the State remain at high level. According to State Planning Commission (2012), the unemployment rate of the youths in 2009, 2010 and 2011 were 32.9%, 35.3% and 35.9% respectively. The records also show that over 40% of the unemployed persons in Cross River State had Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) inclusive of business education graduates. From the above report, it therefore, means that the business education NCE student, who in this study is referred as the final year business education students, go about in search of jobs that do not exist, thus, increasing the rate of unemployment in the State. The implication of the above statistics is that Business Education programme, which aimed at graduating knowledgeable, skilled, and competent individuals that can be self employed and also create jobs in the society, thereby reducing the unemployment situation in the State is not meeting up with her objectives.
The objectives of Business Education at NCE level are: to produce well qualified and competent NCE graduates in business subjects who will be able to teach business subjects in secondary schools and other related educational institutions; to produce NCE business teachers who will be able to inculcate the vocational aspects of Business Education into the society… and to equip graduates with the right skills that will enable them to engage in a life of work in the office as well as for self-employment (Njoku, 2006). Osuala (2004) noted that Business Education programme is robust enough to equip individuals with skills and knowledge for employment, thereby combating unemployment and poverty, and enhancing sustainable development.
Sustainable development according to Lemchi (2012) is that development which meets the needs of the present, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Anyakoha (2010) rightly stated that sustainable development is a holistic approach to improving the quality of human life. Meeting human needs for present and future generation stands out as the bedrock of sustainable development. Thus, Business Education programme certainly has a role to play in ensuring sustainable development. This role would require the Business Education graduate to possess divergent thinking and problem solving skills, and innovative strategies in creating and sustaining jobs. Lemchi (2006) identified certain tools that the Business Education graduate should possess for effective realization of sustainable development to include entrepreneurship education, creativity, Information and Communication Technologies amongst others.
To possess is to have as an attribute, knowledge or power to acquaint or inform at any point in time. The attitude or quality possessed by an individual is the key factor to the realization of the potentials within the individual. Knowledge possession only is not enough for individual to be self sufficient’ as is the case in Colleges of Education which emphasizes knowledge acquisition to practical dexterity of the individual. Therefore the individual has to possess skills in creativity, attitude as well as general knowledge.
Creativity according to Onu (2009) is a mental process undertaken by an individual or group to solve specific problems resulting in the production of statistically infrequent solutions which are useful to the society and the creator. Creativity obviously involves some form of display of ability to do something and most often in a new way. It involves developing problem solving skills, evolving new technologies and ways of solving problem. Lemchi (2012) asserted that possession of creative skill gives rise to self employment. Creativity and innovation are considered to be inseparable from entrepreneurship, which in turn, manifested in the act of starting up and running enterprise. (Pretorios, Millard & Kruger, 2005). The reverse of creativity, which is the hall mark of business students according to Omeke (2011), is poverty, bottle necks in bureaucracy, decrease in potentials for improved social norms, lack of reforms, poor mindset, lack of new ventures and poor organisation. When creativity is lacking, it is obvious that a coherent framework for the implementation of a strong entrepreneurial culture will equally be missing; thus, resulting in unemployment, lack of due process to encourage innovation, and growth of crime. Therefore, creative skill acquisition is advocated for business students.
| Project details | Contents |
|---|---|
| Number of Pages | 144 pages |
| Chapter one | Introduction |
| Chapter two | Literature review |
| Chapter three | methodology |
| Chapter four | Data analysis |
| Chapter five | Summary,discussion & recommendations |
| Reference | Reference |
| Questionnaire | Questionnaire |
| Appendix | Appendix |
| Chapter summary | 1 to 5 chapters |
| Available document | PDF and MS-word format |
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