The relationship between entrepreneurial skills and self-employment of youths

Abstract

The study sought to determine the relationship between entrepreneurial skills and self employment of youths with specific reference to Katwe-Butego division of Masaka Municipality. It aimed at achieving the following objectives: to determine the impact of entrepreneurship in assisting the youths to identify business opportunities; to determine the impact of entrepreneurial skills acquisition in motivating the youths for self employment and; to identify the challenges faced by youths in self employment in Katwe-Butego division. This study adapted to a case study design incorporating qualitative and quantitative means of data collection. The population of the study comprised of all youths, youth leaders and commercial officers in Katwe-Butego division. However a sample size of 64 respondents comprising of youths with and without jobs were selected for the study using simple random and purposive sampling methods. Data collection was managed by use of questionnaire, interview guide and documentary reviews and data was analyzed through coding and thematic approaches. The findings depicted that entrepreneurship has an impact in assisting the youths to identify business opportunities since it; attributes to creativity, promotes risk taking and hardworking abilities, promotes innovativeness, creates ability to invention and take advantages of opportunities, promotes adaptation to challenges and willingness to learn from failures among others. It was also determined that entrepreneurial skills predict the status of being self employed among the youths whereby entrepreneurial skills acquisition motivates youths to consider self employment as their career plan. However, the motivating factors for youths’ self employment are mostly centered on; need to make money, acquisition of entrepreneurial skills, need for independence, lack of employment, government’s initiatives for youths’ self employment and desire to realize hobby. Findings also revealed that the main obstacles/challenges faced by youths in their process to self-employment are mostly anchored to lack of start up capital, accessibility to credit, lack plausible business idea amongst youths, fear of risks, lack of working place, licensing and taxation problems and poor family support. However, the study recommended that a great deal of support should be provided by the government and credit institutions in easing accessibility to credit service and mentoring the youths to imply them with plausible business ideas as this will abridge factors retarding youths for not engaging/planning in self employment.