Entrepreneurship Training as a Catalyst for the Circular Economy and Sustainable Innovation in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) in Tanzania: Evidence from Arusha Technical College
Winfrida Mbowe – Department of Applied Science and Social Studies
Thomas Ignas Chuwa – Department of Transportation Engineering
Arusha Technical College
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7158-4908
Email: winfrida22tz@gmail.com/ tomchuwa@yahoo.com
Abstract: This study assessed the association between entrepreneurship training and circular economy adoption, evidencefrom Arusha Technical College in Tanzania. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which entrepreneurship training (knowledge of resource efficiency, understanding of the circular economy concept, awareness of environmental impact, business commitment, and understanding of sustainable models influences CE adoption. A cross-sectional research design was employed, involving a population of 509 Bachelor’s degree TVET students across 11 Engineering programs. The study employed Yamane’s (1967) formula to determine a sample size of 224 respondents who were selected using stratified random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection, and its validity and reliability were confirmed through expert review and Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.82). Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results revealed a strong positive association between entrepreneurship training and circular economy adoption. Knowledge of resource efficiency, awareness of environmental impact, and understanding of CE concepts were significant predictors. The study concludes that Entrepreneurship Training is critical for embedding CE principles in TVET curricula and recommends that TVET institutions, policymakers, and entrepreneurship development stakeholders ensure that the circular economy concept, sustainability-oriented innovation, and practical green entrepreneurship approaches are integrated into entrepreneurship training curricula to enhance students’ sustainability and green innovation capacity.
