ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION FOR OFFICE TECHNOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT STUDENTS FOR SELF-RELIANCE; CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT

This study examines entrepreneurship education for Office Technology and Management (OTM) students as a tool for achieving self-reliance, with particular emphasis on the challenges and prospects associated with its implementation. Entrepreneurship education equips students with practical skills, innovative thinking, and business knowledge needed to create employment opportunities rather than relying solely on paid employment. OTM students possess competencies in office administration, information technology, and business communication, which can be transformed into entrepreneurial ventures such as virtual assistance, business center services, data processing, and training services. Despite the benefits of entrepreneurship education, challenges such as inadequate funding, insufficient practical facilities, shortage of qualified instructors, poor curriculum implementation, and low student motivation hinder its effectiveness. The study adopts a descriptive survey research design involving selected OTM students and lecturers. Data are collected using structured questionnaires and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings reveal that entrepreneurship education significantly enhances self-reliance among OTM students but is constrained by institutional and infrastructural limitations. The study concludes that strengthening entrepreneurship education will improve students' employability and entrepreneurial success. It recommends increased government funding, curriculum review, capacity building for lecturers, and establishment of entrepreneurship centers.