Perception of lecturers and students on entrepreneurship education on venture creation: the case of Gweru Polytechnic College, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Entrepreneurship education has emerged as an instrument for poverty alleviation, by way of
providing opportunities and avenues of career options and choices even to graduates of
polytechnic education. The purpose of this study is to explore the perception of students
towards entrepreneurship education in influencing venture creation after their tertiary
education. The researcher employed a case study method approach where data was collected
through focus group discussions, open-ended questionnaires and face to face interviews.
Purposive sampling was employed to collect data for this study. Data were thematically
analysed in line with the qualitative research approaches. It emerged from empirical findings
of this study that both lecturers and students share similar views that Entrepreneurship Skills
Development (ESD) is a welcome additional curriculum because it has the potential to boost
students’ motivation to create their own ventures after school. The study findings highlighted
inadequate content, lack of depth, less time allocated for the subject and otherwise lecturers
who teach it are very qualified but not in entrepreneurship as a discipline. This study
recommends that ESD curriculum be enriched and students be given option to take up as a
discipline to Higher National Diploma in Entrepreneurship. Furthermore, expert lecturers
are to be recruited to teach entrepreneurship education in polytechnic colleges in Zimbabwe.
The government of Zimbabwe must take a robust intervention to assist new venture creation
across the country in order to mitigate poverty by employing home grown solutions sustained
by Zimbabwe Agenda for Sustainable Socio- Economic Transformation ( ZIMASSET).