80_Recommendation

Abstract

A research study on Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) among Students of Skill Universities in Rajasthan, India was conducted during 2018-21 with the objective of studying demographic, personal, skill education dimensions and their relationship with EI of skill university students. The study also assessed present entrepreneurial inputs in skill education, future requirement and suggested policy initiatives. This exploratory study was conducted with 346 B.Voc. students as sample. The study considered Demographic/ Personal dimension, Skill Education dimension as independent variables and Entrepreneurial Intention dimension as dependent variable. Based on the review of literature and in consultation with experts a structured schedule consisting 540 questions was constructed, validated, pre-tested, ensured reliability and used for data collection. The study reveals that around two third of the students did not study entrepreneurship module in their skill course. Nearly three fourth of the students expressed that there is need for introduction of new subjects. Large majority of the students opined that eighteen entrepreneurial inputs namely, Achievement Motivation, Entrepreneurial Motivation, Business Idea Generation, Market Survey, MSME Schemes, Startup Support, Financial Assistance, Institutional Mechanism, Intellectual Property Rights, Business Plan preparation, Project Report Preparation, Mentoring, Industrial Visits, Case Studies, Screening of Videos/ Films, Business Idea Competitions, Success Stories and Entrepreneurs Interface which are very crucial but have least content in their skill curriculum. Important entrepreneurial characteristics namely risk taking ability, self-confidence, innovativeness, empowerment to face uncertainties, resource mobilisation, abilities to organise a business, management skills, inculcating entrepreneurial culture, positive attitude and SWOT analysis were not influenced by skill education curriculum. Therefore, majority of the students strongly agreed that the course curriculum has not motivated them for entrepreneurship and hence most of the students were not sure about their success in entrepreneurship. Students strongly agreed that skill education component is required for success in entrepreneurship as it provides internship in a good industry, suitable stipend during internship, absorption in same industry, a good job, salary and employment opportunities abroad. Majority of the students were absolutely confident of succeeding in business, can manage business well with knowledge and skills learned during skill course, identify prospective business opportunities and take advantage for business. However, most of the students expressed inability to mobilise sufficient money to start business and to arrange all other resources for launch of their business; A large majority of the students opined that they can earn more money, receive recognition, provide employment to unemployed, have freedom to make decisions, work in own style, do things in an innovative way, develop wide social network, enjoy life, to be a role model in society, gets opportunity to face challenges and can have political prospects by being in business. Majority of the students agreed to the fact that they are not so keen to start a business activity as it involves risk, they do not have proper education background or skills, no motivation from family, do not have money to invest in business, fear of intense competition, marketing challenges, long gestation periods to earn profit, no immediate returns, fear of failure and lack of adequate time for the family. i Further, majority of the students believed that society respects a job holder as well as entrepreneur and society wants more people to become entrepreneurs; Most of the students agreed that society does not encourage women entrepreneurs and girls & women do not get support for starting enterprises as that of boys and men; Majority of the students expressed that seniors/friends are the decision makers for their future; Students would like establish enterprise during 2 to 7 years of time. Additional qualification of the students and their awareness on skill education, parental professional background such as private job, family business and agriculture had positive and significant correlation with entrepreneurial intention whereas geographical location had negative and significant correlation; Entrepreneurial motivation, business idea generation, project report preparation, entrepreneurs interface and industrial visits had positive and significant correlation with management skills. The findings reject all the three null hypothesis formulated for testing. It is recommended that Skill & Entrepreneurship should be seen together as they are supplementary and complimentary to each other. An institutional mechanism to blend skill & entrepreneurship from national to district level is need of the hour. National Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Council (NSEDC) to be established at national level which plays the role of technical arm assisting the Ministry of Skill & Entrepreneurship Development (MSDE), Govt. of India. NSEDC has to evolve policy guidelines at national level for skill and entrepreneurship development covering policy advocacy, education, training, research and extension. Union Minister has to head the Governing Council of NSEDC and Secretary has to head Executive Council. NSEDC is supported by National Institute for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (ni-msme) as Knowledge Partner addressing capacity building, conferences, seminars, pilot testing of new ideas, programme formulation, course designing, curriculum development, startup support, documentation and dissemination. ni-msme has to come out with model guidelines for establishment of Skill & Entrepreneurship Development University (SEDU) at state level and empowered District Industries Centres (DIC) at district level. NSEDC has to ensure establishment of atleast one SEDU in every state through ni-msme. SEDU plays the role of ni-msme at state level while working with state Ministry of Industry/ Commerce/MSME/Skill/Entrepreneurship Development. SEDU has to ensure establishment of Skill & Entrepreneurship Development Department in all universities and provide handholding support. SEDU should also be given the responsibility of strengthening DICs and transforming this institutional set up at district level for promoting skill & entrepreneurship development in the district. The findings and recommendations of the study would be useful for Government of India (UGC/AICTE/MSDE/MHRD) in revising the policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship; state governments for policy regulations; private sector for partnership opportunities; Capacity Building Institutions for blended modules, Association of Indian Skills Universities (AISU) while revising the curriculum; management of skill university to promote entrepreneurship; teaching fraternity to motivate, modify the attitude of students and teach entrepreneurial inputs; and skill university student community to become entrepreneurs.