IGBO APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE

Abstract

Apprenticeship and skill acquisition have been proven to be a useful and reliable tool for business development and entrepreneurial performance.Apprenticeship in this study focused on Igbo context of skill acquisition and business development. Thus, apprenticeship in term of Igbo context is a system or process through which an apprentice, usually a young person, is admitted by a master craftsman for the sole purpose of acquiring and mastering a craft or trade for a stipulated period of time, after which the apprentice is provided with adequate support to establish his own business. This study examines the Igbo apprenticeship system and its effects on skill acquisition, business growth and entrepreneurial performance. The study adopted a cross-sectional case study of business owners in Ariaria, Aba business cluster. The sample size of the study is 306 small scale business owners in Ariaria, Aba. Data was analyzed using SPSS 21 version. Pearson moment correlation coefficient was adopted in testing hypotheses. The result indicates that apprenticeship programme was effective in helping the apprentices to acquire more skills and knowledge. The findings also suggest that skill acquisition through apprenticeship can guarantee efficiency and effectiveness, which leads to business growth and increase in performance among the entrepreneurs.