Abstract
Lack of knowledge and entrepreneurial skills based on global best practices among building technology graduates in Nigeria is alarming and has discouraged growth in building maintenance (BM) enterprise. This study identifies entrepreneurial skills required by building technology graduates in BM enterprise for self-reliance in Enugu state. Two research questions and hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted survey design and was carried out in Enugu state. The population for the study was 112 respondents made up of 77 building construction personnel in Nsukka and Enugu towns, and 35 lecturers of building technology courses from the tw government owned tertiary institutions in Enugu state. Instrument for data collection was a 30-item entrepreneurial skill structured questionnaire validated by 3 experts from building construction unit of industrial technical education department University of Nigeria Nsukka. Cronbach alpha method was used to test the internal consistency of the items given a reliability coefficient of 0.84. A total of 112 copies of the instrument were administered to the respondents by 3 research assistants and 110 valid copies were returned representing 98.21% response rate. The instrument was analyzed using weighted mean and standard deviation while the hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance, using t-test statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, There was no significant difference in the responses of building construction lecturers and personnel on the 30 entrepreneurial skills indentified in BM enterprise. The study found that all the 30 entrepreneurial skill identified in BM enterprise based on global best practices are desirable and were all required by building technology graduates. The study therefore, recommended that the identified entrepreneurial skill be inculcated into a manual and used in the training of building technology students in Enugu state for self reliance after graduation.
Key Words: Building Technology, Vocational Technical Education, Entrepreneurship Education, Building Maintenance.
Publication Date: 2024-07-03