Basic competences for the development of the entrepreneurial profile: trends from the public university

Abstract

Developing entrepreneurial skills in university enhances the chances of success when establishing a business. In developing countries, entrepreneurship serves as an alternative to unemployment, however, in the context of youth employment, Inexperience or a lack of entrepreneurial skills weaken the prospects for the continuity of new businesses. The objective of this research is to determine the degree of acquisition of entrepreneurship competencies in students from a public university who are in their last degree in bachelor's degrees with an emphasis in business and who additionally participate in institutionally developed entrepreneurship promotion activities; at the same time as determining differences by sex and having a background in entrepreneurship. Using a non-probabilistic sampling technique, data from 210 students were obtained through an online survey. A cluster analysis was applied using a two-step methodology that provided an integration of five clusters that were valued in their structure through the ANOVA analysis. The main findings indicated that in public higher education the focus on entrepreneurship has been promoted, favoring the efficient development of professional, methodological, communication, personal and cooperation skills in a large part of its student community. In addition, male participants and those with a background in small business development reported a higher degree of acquisition of entrepreneurial competencies. This research suggests adaptations to the curricula of universities to include topics that favor the identification, development and application of business opportunities that facilitate the incorporation of graduates in the labor field, both on self-employment and under the modality of subordinate personal work.