THE IMPACT OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING PROGRAMME ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ZIMBABWE: A CASE OF GWERU

Victoria Mudavanhu

Trevor Mubata

Ayodele Mudavanhu

Bindura University of Science Education, Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT

Zimbabwe and the other developing countries struggle to achieve economic growth and development through small and medium scale enterprises. The Zimbabwean has put small and medium scale enterprises as an important key to fight against poverty, help create more employment and income generating programs, create more wealth through increasing productivity in the SMEs Sector. Most SMEs facing viability problems over the past years mainly due to lack of business expertise. The study sought to assess the impact of entrepreneurship training programme on economic development in Zimbabwe. The study used stratified sampling technique; questionnaires were distributed to a sample of 25 entrepreneurs and including 3 SEDCO staff. Data was analyzed using the statistical package for social scientist (SPSS). The research found that most entrepreneurs lacked stock management, business plan, business skills and ethics, operations and strategic management and production management. Some of the entrepreneurs got training from government institution such as SEDCO, Hope Humana and through NGOs that were Implementing developmental projects. The main conclusion was that entrepreneurship training programmes are ineffective, the major courses being offered was bookkeeping and the only benefit of attending such programs was the ability to draw from book of accounts and receiving loans from the government. The research recommended that training programs should engage in diversifying of trainers to provide a one stop shop for addressing all the problems of entrepreneurs, and the scope of training should be widening, including practical guide of how to run a business, to ensure sustainable development.

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