EFFECT OF TRAINING ON PERFORMANCE OF SMES IN NORTH CENTRAL, NIGERIA

Abstract

Most SME owners have received mentorship, apprenticeship, and coaching, with some undergoing tertiary education, while SMEDAN offers training in business management and entrepreneurship. Despite these efforts, the sector continues to experience declining performance. This study therefore examined mentorship and workshops element of training on performance of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria. The study adopted a survey research design whereby structured 5-point likert scale questionnaire were administered to a sample of four hundred and thirty-nine (439) employees of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria. Partial Least Square (PLS-SEM) statistic was employed to test the hypotheses formulated of which the study found a negative and significant effect of mentorship on performance of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria, while workshops have positive but insignificant effects on performance of SMEs in North Central, Nigeria. The study recommends that mentorship programs for SMEs in North Central Nigeria should be reassessed and redesigned to better suit the unique needs and circumstances of these businesses. Additionally, it is essential to prioritize training for mentors to ensure they have the skills and knowledge required to effectively assist their mentees. Also, SMEs owners should implement follow-up sessions after workshops to reinforce learning and provide ongoing support. This could help SMEs apply what they've learned more effectively