Title: Graduate employability and skill gap: relationships of vocational training and machinery/equipment in an effective new business start-up

Authors: Muhammad Adamu; Mahani Binti Mohammad Abdu Shakur

Addresses: Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Bauchi State University, Nigeria ' Department of Business Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract: This research aims to examine the role that vocational training and use of relevant machinery/equipment perform in supplementing the entrepreneurial behaviour and motivation of potential entrepreneurs in a new business start-up. Quantitative technique approach was employed in this research. Questionnaires were distributed and primary data were collected for the study through a cross-sectional survey approach. PLS-SEM was used to analyse the data. Furthermore, this study theoretically incorporates two theories (i.e., the economic entrepreneurship theory and the vroom expectancy motivation theory) especially in developing the conceptual framework for the study. Merging the selected theories to develop the research framework uncovered the novelty of this study. In addition, value is added to self-employment literature by exploring the under-researched factors of self-employment determinants in the Nigeria context. The results confirm that vocational training applied through the necessary machinery/equipment has a significant impact in potential entrepreneurs' preparedness and motivation in self-employment start-up.

Keywords: vocational training; machinery/equipment; employability; skills; potential entrepreneurs; self-employment (new business start-up).

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2023.131633

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2023 Vol.23 No.2, pp.115 - 126

Accepted: 28 Nov 2022
Published online: 21 Jun 2023 *

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