ENTREPRENEURIAL TRAINING AND STUDENT'S PERFORMANCE IN UNIVERSITY OF CALABAR ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT CENTRE, CALABAR.

ABSTRACT:

This study examined the impact of entrepreneurial training on students’ academic performance at the Entrepreneurship Development Centre, University of Calabar. The study adopted a survey research design, with data collected from a sample of 105 students selected using simple random sampling from a population of 144. Data were obtained through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) and inferential statistics (Analysis of Variance). The findings revealed that entrepreneurial training has a moderately high positive effect on students’ performance, particularly in enhancing entrepreneurial mindset, resilience, and adaptability. The results also showed that entrepreneurial training contributes to reducing graduate unemployment, improving managerial skills, and promoting self-reliance among students. Furthermore, the ANOVA result indicated a statistically significant relationship between entrepreneurial training and students’ academic performance, leading to the rejection of the null hypothesis. The study concludes that entrepreneurial training plays a vital role in improving both academic and practical competencies of students. It recommends improved curriculum integration, increased practical exposure, and enhanced institutional support to maximize the benefits of entrepreneurship education.

Keywords: Entrepreneurial Training, Academic Performance, Entrepreneurship Education, Employability, Skill Acquisition.