Imparting Entrepreneurial Skills to the Disadvantaged Citizen Groups through Adopting Flexible and Blended Skills: The Tanzanian Context

Abstract

When governments in many developing countries pay attention and efforts to lower poverty levels among their people, the disadvantaged citizen groups (DCGs) are among the groups that need special attention. This study focusses on a specific DCG of people/students who drop-out of various levels of education: primary schools, secondary schools, tertiary institutions and universities. As part of a big development project, this study develops a conceptual model with a view to building capabilities of the DCGs by imparting on them entrepreneurial hands-on business skills, facilitated through a flexible & blended skills (FaBs) model. The developed model comprises six elements with the main functionality of posing procedures to the DCGs to learn entrepreneurial skills through the FaB system, and engage with own businesses of preference. They include: (i) identifying the characteristics of the DCGs (ii) preparing institutional infrastructure, (iii) preparing online and practical courses, (iv) conducting online courses, (v) conducting the courses in the institution, and (vi) conducting industrial practical studies. While five elements are self-descriptive, element two, that is ‘preparing institutional infrastructure’ was decomposed further into five sub-elements as follows: (i) merging policies and strategies of the TVET institution against that of the nation, (ii) modifying the institutional curriculum, (iii) defining identifying buildings’ infrastructural spaces and uses, (iv) evaluating the institutional staff requirements in terms of knowledge categories, workloads and the additional loads that may be assigned from the FaBs model, and (v) mapping out institutional ICT’s infrastructural requirements to support FaBs studies. Translating the holistic model, it was argued that, if DCGs participate in the FaBs studies committedly; they would receive course instructions flexibly, gain both entrepreneurial theories and practical skills, thereby alleviating the prevailing poverty levels. The study also concluded that knowledge and skills gained by the DCGs will help them support themselves, their families as well as boost the national economy. The findings of the study have utility in many other countries.