Influence of Entrepreneurship Education on Career Aspiration of Agriculture Undergraduates in Rivers State

Abstract

The study assessed the influence of entrepreneurship education on career aspiration of agriculture undergraduates in Rivers State. Two stage sampling procedure was used to select 94 final year undergraduates for the study. Data were collected from the respondents on their demographic characteristics, choice of career, perception of career in agriculture, factors that influence their career aspiration, effectiveness of the entrepreneurship course taken and its influence on their career aspiration using structured questionnaire and analysed with mean, frequency count, percentages, binary logit and ordinary least square regression analysis. Findings showed that minimal take off fund (88%), desire to develop entrepreneurship skills (87%), low level of mechanization (81%), intrinsic desire for the career (74%), less difficulty to access agric. fund (68%), social status of those already in agric. career (67%) and family and environmental factors (60%) were major factors influencing students’ career aspirations. The major influences of entrepreneurship education on students’ career aspiration include developing creativity in students ( x̄= 3.4), increasing students’ self-confidence ( x̄= 3.5), aiding financial management (x̄ = 3.5), becoming entrepreneurial oriented ( x̄= 3.6) and increasing students’ ambition of being self-employed ( x̄= 3.5). There was a strong relationship between the agriculture undergraduate’s choice of course at entry, family involvement in home gardening, family residence, mode of financial support and their choice of career. Also, student’s perception of career in agriculture was found to be influenced by their age, course applied for at entry, family involvement in home gardening and career choice after entrepreneurship education. Entrepreneurship courses should be made more practical for better understanding and increased impact. Government should give soft agricultural loans to young agricultural graduate to encourage them take up a career in agricultural.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship, career aspiration, career choice, influence, factors