VOCATIONAL EDUCATION FOR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: ENTREPRENEURIAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE MISSING LINKS IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Entrepreneurship is a dynamic process of vision, change and creation. It requires an application of energy and passion toward creating and implementing new ideas and creative solutions. The importance of entrepreneurial development programs in higher education institutions cannot be over emphasized. They serve as ways of empowering the school graduates to generate employment opportunities; giving them a chance of being self-employed and employers of labor. Vocational education, on the other hand, is the master key that can alleviate poverty, promote peace, conserve the environment, improve the quality of life for all and help achieve sustainable development and economic growth. The purpose of this article therefore, is to present vocational education for youth empowerment: entrepreneurial development and the missing links in higher education institutions. The paper identifies vocational education and entrepreneurial development as reliable sources for promoting human development and youth empowerment in Nigeria and beyond. The missing links on vocational education and entrepreneurial development in Nigerian higher institutions are highlighted and recommendations for program development are made.