Chapter One

1.0 Introduction

Apprenticeship training is often seen as a practical route into the labour market. Because it relies heavily on learning on the job, it suits people who are not drawn to the classroom and lecture-hall instruction of higher institutions. It involves learning a specific trade under the guidance of a master, usually without any financial reward to the apprentice for the duration of the training. This study focuses on apprenticeship training and entrepreneurship development. The chapter is organised into the following sections: background to the study, statement of the problem, objectives of the study, research questions, research hypotheses, scope and delimitation, significance of the study, justification of the study, and operational definition of terms.

1.1 Background to the Study

Governments have long valued apprenticeship for its contribution to jobs and skills, and for the way it eases young people's passage from education into work. In its formal version, apprenticeship combines vocational education with workplace learning, usually under an agreed contract and set standards. Its strength is that it can accommodate a wide range of abilities and aptitudes, since modern economies need an equally wide range of skills. It would nevertheless be a mistake to treat apprenticeship as a cure for youth unemployment. Its main purpose is skill development, to the benefit of firms, workers and the wider economy, and it cannot on its own solve the labour-market problems of young people with weak academic records.

In much of the developing world, the dominant form is informal apprenticeship. A young person learns a trade by observing and imitating an experienced master craftsperson, and in the process is introduced to the customs and networks of that trade. Agreements are mostly oral and rest on community norms. Haan (2006) found that informal apprenticeship is by far the most common source of skills among owners and workers of informal micro-enterprises in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for an estimated 80–90% of training in some countries. Ismail and Mujuru (2020) likewise report that most workplace-based learning in Africa takes place through informal or traditional apprenticeships. Nigeria, with its large informal economy, is no exception.

The empirical evidence on its value is encouraging. Ezenwakwelu et al. (2019) found that Nigerian apprentices acquire technical and entrepreneurial skills for self-employment through both formal and informal systems, and recommended that government provide physical, financial and moral support to boost entrepreneurship development. Bako et al. (2021) reported a strong positive correlation between skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. Adelakun (2019) concluded that the skills youth acquired through the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) vocational programme in South-Western Nigeria were being sustainably used, and that the programme had helped unskilled youths into self-employment.

Informal apprenticeship also has well-documented weaknesses. Ismail and Mujuru (2020) note that the quality of training and working conditions varies widely, and that child labour, hazardous conditions and long working hours are recurring concerns. Ngyah-Etchutambe et al. (2022) found that apprentices in informal settings may lack access to specialised machines and may be held back by poor literacy. In Nigeria, further problems are reported: long hours, unsafe workplaces, little or no stipend, almost no social protection in case of illness or injury, and strong gender imbalances. These conditions may affect how well graduates of the system perform as craftspeople. On the one hand, upgrading informal apprenticeship is seen as necessary to correct these shortcomings. On the other hand, it is a cost-effective way to build a country's skills base and improve youth employability compared with expanding formal technical education, because the training is built into the production process. Recommended upgrades include training for master craftspeople, written contracts for apprentices, and certification of the skills acquired (Ismail & Mujuru, 2020).

1.2 Statement of the Problem

By the mid-1980s, Nigeria's economic condition left many young people with little confidence, as they were considered poorly prepared for the world of work. Concerned about the number of youths exposed to crime and other vices, the federal government established the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) to equip young people with the skills and facilities to support themselves. The NDE pursues this goal through the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS). Ideally, the scheme should give jobless youths who could not proceed to secondary or higher education the basic skills the economy needs. It does this by attaching them as apprentices to skilled craftspeople and then providing equipment to set up their own businesses, so that graduates do not return to unemployment.

Apprenticeship offers a source of work, a means of being employed and a way to take part in productive enterprise, particularly in the informal sector. That sector is dominated by micro-enterprises. The National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (2012) defines a micro-enterprise as a business employing fewer than 10 people with total assets of not more than ₦5 million, excluding land and buildings. Key sub-sectors include wholesale and retail trade, manufacturing, vehicle repair and servicing, transport, hotels and restaurants, and building and construction. These businesses are largely informal and family-owned, with low output, low levels of skill and technology, and often limited access to conventional bank credit.

As a form of education and training, apprenticeship can contribute to youth employment and empowerment, and promises higher productivity and better job prospects. Yet the evidence also shows that apprentices face obstacles. Ezenwakwelu et al. (2019) identified a lack of qualified manpower, insufficient training tools, inadequate infrastructure and a lack of start-up capital as barriers to skill acquisition in Nigeria. Given these problems, and the importance of apprenticeship in changing the lives of participants through skills, jobs and income, it is necessary to investigate whether apprenticeship training contributes significantly to entrepreneurship development in Nigeria. This study therefore examines the role of apprenticeship training in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, using Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State as a case study.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The general objective is to assess the role of apprenticeship training in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria, using Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State as a case study. The specific objectives are to:

1. examine the effect of apprenticeship training on entrepreneurship development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria;
2. examine the process and organisation of apprenticeship training and its contribution to entrepreneurship development; and
3. determine the influence of apprenticeship training facilities on youths' acquisition of employable skills, employment opportunities and entrepreneurial development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

1.4 Research Questions

The following research questions, drawn from the objectives and the problem stated above, guided the study:

1. What is the effect of apprenticeship training on entrepreneurship development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria?
2. What is the process and organisation of apprenticeship training, and how does it contribute to entrepreneurship development?
3. What is the influence of apprenticeship training on youths' acquisition of employable skills, employment opportunities and entrepreneurial development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following hypotheses were tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

H₀: There is no significant relationship between apprenticeship training and entrepreneurial development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

H₁: There is a significant relationship between apprenticeship training and entrepreneurial development in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study covers how apprenticeship training programmes are organised and managed, and the influence of apprenticeship training on youths' acquisition of employable skills, employment opportunities and entrepreneurial development. It also examines the process and organisation of apprenticeship training and its contribution to entrepreneurship development. Geographically, the study is delimited to Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria, and in terms of population it is limited to the training and empowerment of youths and young people within that area.

1.7 Significance of the Study

The study will benefit government by pointing out the key areas that matter for implementation, and by showing whether the training provided matches the skills needed for youth empowerment today. It will also be useful to those directly involved in training and engaging apprentices, since the findings will help them understand the concept, organisation and management of apprenticeship and judge whether training matches the skills required for employment in the relevant industries.

Trainers, trainees, curriculum planners and the public can use the results to inform policy recommendations, programme design and implementation. Finally, the study will benefit academia by adding to the existing body of knowledge and literature.

1.8 Justification of the Study

Nigeria's economic condition in the mid-1980s did little to encourage self-reliance among young people, who were considered inadequately prepared for the labour market. Because many youths were exposed to the dangers of crime and vices, the federal government set up the NDE to equip them with the skills and facilities needed to live sustainably. Among its programmes is the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme (NOAS), which aims to promote entrepreneurial development by attaching individuals as apprentices to professional craftsmen and women and by giving them the equipment to start their own businesses, so that they do not remain unemployed.

Effective skills training has been widely linked with technical excellence and entrepreneurial innovation. Recent Nigerian evidence points the same way: Bako et al. (2021) found that skills acquisition is strongly and positively related to entrepreneurship development, and that youths who build entrepreneurial skills become more efficient in their enterprises and create jobs for others. It follows that Nigeria's social and economic growth will be held back unless young people receive adequate training in skills, together with raw materials, machinery and equipment to support entrepreneurial development.

1.9 Operational Definition of Terms

Apprentice/Trainee: A person who has not attended school, a school leaver, a school dropout or a fresh graduate of a tertiary institution who wishes to acquire skills training under the National Open Apprenticeship Scheme.

Apprenticeship training: The process of training unemployed youths in both practical and mental skills so that they can apply the training in the economy for personal and general benefit.

Skills: Abilities and competences acquired through practice outside the normal school setting, which enable a person to start a business or be employed in an establishment.

Youth empowerment: Support given to youths by government and other agencies, through training and the provision of facilities (money and equipment), so that they can make sound decisions and support themselves and others economically.

Entrepreneurial development: The process of improving the skills and knowledge of entrepreneurs through training and classroom programmes. Its aim is to increase the number of entrepreneurs and to use resources to exploit opportunities for long-term gain.

References

Adelakun, O. E. (2019). Sustained utilisation of acquired entrepreneurial skills among youth in Southwestern Nigeria: National Directorate of Employment's perspective. Nigerian Journal of Rural Extension and Development, 13, 22–.

Bako, Y. A., Taiwo, A. A., Mohammed, S. R., & Olopade, O. (2021). Skills acquisition and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria Istanbul, Turkey.

Ezenwakwelu, C. A., Egbosionu, N. A., & Okwo, H. U. (2019). Apprenticeship training effects on entrepreneurship development in developing economies. Academy of Entrepreneurship Journal, 25(1).

Haan, H. C. (2006). Training for work in the informal micro-enterprise sector: Fresh evidence from Sub-Sahara Africa. Springer.

Ismail, Z., & Mujuru, S. (2020). Workplace based learning and youth employment in Africa.

Ngyah-Etchutambe, I. B., Aki, E. M., Mbi, S. E., & Farinkia, N. G. (2022). Informal vocational training and sustainable livelihood skills among unemployed youth in low-income countries: Insights from a SWOT analysis of tailoring apprenticeships in Cameroon. Frontiers in Education, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.1027632

National Policy on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. (2012). Federal Republic of Nigeria.