Entrepreneurial Training Status, Social Economic Factors and Enterprisers Entrepreneurial Competencies in Selected Counts in Western Kenya

Abstract

This study examines the entrepreneurial training status, social economic factors and enterprisers. Enterprisers’ skills are considered to be critical inputs in the successful operation of small enterprises. The specific objectives of the study were to; assess the entrepreneur’s entrepreneurial orientation competencies basing on the training status and socio economic characteristics and to examine the relationship between the training status and entrepreneurial operation competencies. A sample of 252 respondents for the study was drawn from enterprisers’ in Eldoret, Bungoma, Trans Nzoia, Kisumu and Kakamega counties Kenya. This study was based on the functional Positivist in entrepreneurship research. The study was based on the competency model of entrepreneurship. Data was collected from primary and secondary sources. Primary data was collected using questionnaires while document analysis was employed for secondary data. The data was analysed with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v.21) and data presented using both descriptive statistics. The key results of this study were; Training assisted in improving the competencies of the entrepreneurs the foundation for benefits of training lies in the highest level of education, critical and analytical skills are not dependent on training, numerical skills can be imparted well on entrepreneurs with higher academic qualifications, training helps improve competencies in science and technology if the respondents had higher level of academic qualifications. This study concludes that training provided to entrepreneurs enhanced their competencies. A higher level of education was vital for the development of entrepreneurship education programmes. Training needs assessment should be undertaken in order to impart appropriate entrepreneurial operational competencies to entrepreneurs. This study recommends entrepreneurship education should be embedded and mainstreamed in school curriculum stating at upper primary to university level, Entrepreneurship training, BDS organisations should refine the curriculum and target KCSE graduates and above in order to entrench entrepreneurship and drive the move to the creation of an entrepreneurial society, Create talent and entrepreneurship competency development centres through club/societies in high schools to entrench entrepreneurship culture in Kenya and the development of County based entrepreneurial policies which should give priority to the development of education in order to foster entrepreneurship development inKenya.