The efficacy of apprenticeship training as preparation for self-employment in Kenya

The purpose of this study was to explore the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills of apprentices in formal and informal training systems in Kenya and to determine the efficacy of apprenticeships in preparing skilled workers for self-employment. The study attempted to determine the entrepreneurial knowledge and skills possessed by the apprentices, the method of skill acquisition, and relationship between competency and interest in self-employment.A survey method using interviews was used to collect data. Seventy one apprentices were interviewed, 24 from the informal sector, 23 from the Directorate of Industrial Training (DIT), and 24 from the National Youth Service (NYS). The study was limited to apprentices in the city of Nairobi within the following trade areas: welding and fabrication, motor vehicle mechanical and electrical repair, panel beating and spray painting, and machining. An interview guide was adapted by the investigator from a set of entrepreneurial competencies developed by Timmons (1989) and Ronstadt (1983).The results indicate that the environment in which an apprentice learns a trade is critical to the kinds of entrepreneurial skills acquired. Of the three training approaches, the informal sector provided an environment in which more skills were acquired than the DIT and NYS. Informal sector apprentices were perceived to have significantly higher competency levels than the DIT and NYS apprentices in Marketing skills and in Technical and Operational skills. Uniform lack of competency was perceived among the apprentices in Financial skills and in Basic Law relevant to the establishment and operation of a business. The primary method of skill acquisition for the informal sector and the NYS apprentices was by observation, while the DIT apprentices relied, almost in equal proportion, on observation and on-the-job instruction.The study found no relationship between the competency level of the apprentices and their future career choices. Slightly less than half of the informal sector apprentices indicated preference for self-employment in the formal sector (45.8%) compared to 52.2% for the DIT and 70.8% for the NYS. Uncertainty of income in self-employment was indicated as the main reason for preference for paid employment in the formal sector.U of I OnlyETDs are only available to UIUC Users without author permissio