This study highlights the need for a youth entrepreneurship education program of
value in South African secondary schools. It examines the enterprising tendencies of
grade 12 learners in 10 secondary schools in the Lejweleputswa District of the Free
State province, South Africa, using the General Enterprising Tendency (GET) test.
An investigation into the current status of entrepreneurship in South Africa revealed
that there is a lack of entrepreneurs and not enough people who have the orientation
and skills to create new businesses. This leads to a situation where the South African
economy performs poorly and the recent financial crisis exuberated South Africa’s
challenges in terms of poverty, unemployment and income inequality. In addition,
youth unemployment has worsened as a result of the recession, because the youth
lack the needed qualifications, experience and skills to compete for the few job
opportunities in the labour market. Entrepreneurship and innovation are widely seen
as key sources of renewed economic growth, creating jobs and advancing human
welfare.
This study shows that the South African youth has a positive enterprising tendency.
The ‘General Enterprising Tendency Questionnaire’, completed by 530 grade 12
learners was evaluated and learners scored within the average score, although at the
lower end of the suggested average. When the questionnaire’s constructs are
evaluated, learners scored below the suggested average score on ‘need for
achievement’, ‘need for autonomy’, ‘creative tendency’ and ‘moderate/calculated
risks’, but above the suggested average for ‘drive and determination’, but it can be
conclude that learners shows a tendency to be entrepreneurial.
However, the study suggests that grade 12 learners in the Lejweleputswa sample
have overrated expectations on the ‘drive and determination construct’. It appears
that they do not have the propensity to be creative and have a low drive to be
autonomous. The study also reveals that there are no practical significant differences
between the mean values for the demographic variables school, age, gender, home
language and ethnic group regarding the measured constructs.