Entrepreneurial Skills Needed by Craftsmen for Establishing Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Welding and Fabrication in Kwara State

Abstract

This research work looked into the entrepreneurial skill needed by craftsmen for establishing small and medium scale enterprises in welding and fabrication in Kwara state. Descriptive survey research design was used in which a questionnaire made up of forty five (45) items drafted under the following entrepreneurial skills; technical, management, planning, accounting and marketing skills needed by craftsmen and it was validated by three (3) lecturers from the department of industrial and technology education and one (1) metalwork laboratory technician from the same department. The research instrument was distributed to thirty one (31) technical college teachers in four technical colleges in Kwara state and fifty (50) entrepreneurs within Ilorin metropolis. The rating scale of 2.50 was used as the acceptance value for the mean of respondents with a significance level of 0.05 and a degree of freedom of 79. All but three of the items listed under the identified entrepreneurial skills were all agreed to. It was recommended that the curriculum of technical colleges should be revised and all the identified skills be included and improved upon so as to enlighten technical college graduates on entrepreneurial skills that are important for success in establishing a business and also entrepreneurial programs should be packaged with these entrepreneurial skills so that it can be taught to craftsmen.