Mentorship Support in Technical Training Institutes and the Growth of Micro and Small Enterprises in Kenya.

Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) play a key role in the global, regional, and Kenyan economies, contributing significantly to gross domestic product (GDP), employment, and livelihoods. However, they often struggle to survive, with up to 80% closing before their fifth anniversary. Their short life cycle casts doubt on their reliability as a source of economic development and growth. Entrepreneurship education has been proposed as a strategy to address the short life cycle of MSEs and improve their sustainable contribution to the economy. Entrepreneurship education, which encompasses training in business and technical skills, is offered in tertiary educational institutions, including Technical Training Institutes (TTIs). Mentorship is a critical form of instructional support for entrepreneurship education students, but its impact on MSE growth has not been widely studied in Kenya. This study investigated how mentorship affects the growth of MSEs run by Technical Training Institute (TTI) entrepreneurship diploma graduates in Kenya. The explanatory study adopted a mixed-methods design and collected data through a structured questionnaire and an interview guide from 2012 to 2016 TTI graduates in Kenya. From a population of 20,300 graduates, a target sample of 392 was calculated. Graduates who had managed MSEs for at least 1 year were identified. Graduates were stratified by TTIs, and a systematic sample was drawn. A response rate of 79.8% was achieved. Regression analysis indicated that mentorship significantly improves MSE growth. The results underscore the need to strengthen mentorship support for entrepreneurship diploma studies in Kenyan TTIs.