Challenges and perspectives facing the development of entrepreneurship education and training in South Africa
| Pages | 126-132 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/WJEMSD-01-2013-0009 |
| Published date | 12 July 2013 |
| Date | 12 July 2013 |
| Author | Alain A. Ndedi |
| Subject Matter | Public policy & environmental management |
Challenges and perspectives
facing the development of
entrepreneurship education and
training in South Africa
Alain A. Ndedi
YENEPAD, Douala,
Cameroon and Institute for Management and Entrepreneurship,
Douala, Cameroon
Abstract
Purpose – The study aims to investigate some of the interventions which havebe en introduced by the
South African Government through its various agencies (Sector Education Training Authorities or
SETA, for example) to support youth entrepreneurship and explore the challenges these agencies face,
namely policy development, operational and pedagogic impediments.
Design/methodology/approach – The approach used to collect data was twofold; first, desk
research was conducted on selected work in the area of entrepreneurial education and training.
The second source of information was from empirical investigations on the impact made by the
various Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) in supporting small, medium and micro
enterprises (SME) levy payers in skills development. In addition to the information from SETAs, data
are also used from impact assessment studies conducted for the South African Department of Trade
and Industry and the Department of Science and Technology.
Findings – The study found that there are no inter-disciplinary approaches in entrepreneurship
training that make entrepreneurship education accessible to all students, and where appropriate,
create teams for the development and exploitation of business ideas. Another finding is the fact that
business/engineering students with different backgrounds are not connected.
Originality/value – This study has explored the nature of youth entrepreneurial education
development through well-designed entrepreneurial development efforts. An appropriate scheme in
terms of cultivating an entrepreneurial spirit around training and concentrating efforts on supporting
the growth of new ventures is suggested.
Keywords Youth, Entrepreneurship education, Employment, South Africa
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The importance of developing entrepreneurship to contribute to economic development
has been widely recognised. However, Orford et al. (2004) cautioned that although
this is a widely held desire, entrepreneurship is poorly understood. This poor
understanding is also seen in the fact that the “animal” usually referred to as the
entrepreneur is more complex than the waythey are de scribed by classical economists
such as Schumpeter (1931, 1934), who saw the entrepreneur as a person who does
things “that are not generally done in the ordinary course of business routine [y]Heis
an ideas man and a man of action who possesses the ability to inspire others and who
does not accept the boundaries of structured situations [y] the creative destr uctor”.
Say (1803) pioneered the work of Schumpeter and distinguishe d the entrepreneur and
the capitalist, further linking the entrepreneurs and seeing them as agents of c hange.
South Africa is experiencing high levels of unemployment and during the last two
decades, many policies have been implemented without any success. Few empirical
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/2042-5961.htm
World Journal of Entrepreneurship,
Management and Sustainable
Development
Vol. 9 No. 2/3, 2013
pp. 126-132
rEmeraldGroup PublishingLimited
2042-5961
DOI 10.1108/W JEMSD-01-2013-00 09
126
WJEMSD
9,2/3
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