Entrepreneurship training and challenges of consumer sciences’ Graduatesin starting businesses in Swaziland

The Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have a very crucial role in a nation’s economic development. Swaziland’s high unemployment rate, with one third of its labour force unemployed in 2008, amongst them being the University of Swaziland (UNISWA) graduates from the Faculty of Agriculture (FOA), challenges its development. Thus, the production of SMEs has been identified as one coping strategy. This descriptive survey study’s main thrust was to determine challenges faced by Consumer Sciences (COS) graduates of UNISWA both during training, and after graduation. Furthermore, COS graduates as potential entrepreneurs in starting business ventures, gave valuable suggestions as contribution for improvement of the entrepreneurship training at UNISWA. Data collection were through a validated close-ended and open-ended questionnaire that was Pilot-tested and a reliability coefficient of 0.788 obtained. A sample of fifty (50) respondents from 2010-2012 COS graduates was obtained through random sampling and snowballing technique. Study results indicated that a majority of respondents were not involved in business, probably due to their lack of determination and interest for business; and, perhaps from failure of the Entrepreneurship training to impart to respondents during the training period, those vital entrepreneurial attributes and skills befitting their local environments after graduation. Findings of the study further showed that respondents felt there was a major need for improvement on the Entrepreneurial Project. Recommendations are that a similar study be done with graduates from all departments of the FOA for more conclusive findings.