| dc.description.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. | en_US |
