Fostering Entrepreneurial Competencies through Entrepreneurship Education among Hospitality Students in Technical and Vocational Colleges in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region, Kenya

Abstract

The Sessional Paper No. 4 of 2012 on Reforming Education and Training in Kenya, underlined the need for a significant overhaul of the TVET training framework, to foster quality education. This required a paradigm shift to Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) to overcome the gap between skills obtained via training and industry needs, thereby boosting the global competitiveness of the Kenyan graduates. This study aimed at investigating the delivery methods that can foster entrepreneurial competencies (EC) among students in Technical and Vocational Colleges (TVCs) in Kenya. The study conducted interviews with curriculum specialists from the Curriculum Development, Assessment and Certification Council (CDACC) and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), as well as trainers of entrepreneurship education (EE) from selected TVCs located in the Nairobi Metropolitan Region. Content analysis method was used to analyse the findings. The results revealed that traditional passive delivery methods, including lectures, business plans, assignments, group projects, and case studies, are the most popular methods used to teach EE to students in TVCs. These methods are mostly theoretical and result in the acquisition of basic EC. This study recommends that EE should be delivered using practical-operational methods to foster proficient EC. Resources are imperative in the discourse of EE. Therefore, adequate learning resources should be provided to sustain practical implementation of EE.