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Entrepreneurial Skills Required by Home Economics Graduates for
Managing Modern Laundry and Dry Cleaning Enterprise in Lagos State,
Nigeria.
OLUWALEYIMU, O. O
Department of Science and Technology Education
University of Lagos, Lagos State.
E-mail: [email protected]
&
Nwabah, Nkiru (Ph.D)
Department of Vocational and Technical Education, Faculty of Education
University Of Benin, Benin City,
Edo State, Nigeria.
E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract
The study was carried out to investigate entrepreneurial skills required by Home Economics
Graduates for Managing Modern Laundry and Dry Cleaning Enterprise in Lagos State, Nigeria.
Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The study
adopted descriptive survey research design. The population for the study consisted of 1,705
subjects who include all the 62 Home economics lecturers and 1,643 registered modern laundry
and dry cleaning entrepreneurs in the State. The sample for the study was 313 respondents. This
includes all the 62 Home economics lecturers and randomly sampled 251 registered modern
laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs in the State. The instrument for data collection for the
study was a 62-item structured questionnaire. Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used for
the instrument and a coefficient of 0.86 was obtained. The data collected were analysed using
mean for answering the research questions while t-test statistics was used for testing the null
hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Based on the data analysed, the study identified 15 skills
in planning laundry and dry cleaning enterprise, 27 cloth sorting and washing machine
operating skills and 20 drying and ironing skills for success in laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise. The study recommended that Lagos state government should help package the
identified entrepreneurial skills in laundry and dry cleaning into programmes for training the
idle graduates and youth in the state for employment opportunity to earn a living.
Key Words: Entrepreneurial skills, Modern Laundry, Home Economic Graduates
Introduction
Home economics is a field of study that equips individuals with the knowledge, skills and
attitude necessary for proper family living and performance in the world of work. Obiakor
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(2006) defined Home economics as study of man and material resources affecting home and
families and the utilization of this for the benefit of mankind. The ultimate aim of Home
economics is to improve the quality of life that brings about human progress. It does not only
strive to solve the most pressing problem of the day, but constantly involve adaptation to world
where change is ever increasing. According to Anyakoha (1993) the teaching of Home
Economics must aim at helping the students acquire skills which can enable them become self
employed in any Home Economics trade such as Food and nutrition, Home management,
clothing and textiles.
Clothing and textiles is one of the key Home Economics subjects in which
entrepreneurial skills are needed to facilitate self-reliance. Igbo (2001) submitted that clothing
and textiles is a course that is taught at both basic secondary and tertiary institutions as well as in
skill acquisition centres where an individual can be equipped with saleable skills for self or paid
employment on graduation. Clothing and textile as observed by Iyere and Orumwense (2004)
covers basic techniques in wardrobe planning and garment making, clothing repair, maintenance,
laundry, dyeing and dry cleaning of clothing items.
Clothing are body covering that are constructed from fabric to produce dresses such as
blouses, trousers, shirts, pants, under wears, handbags and other related body accessories. In the
view of Weber (2009), clothing is one of the basic necessities of any human being which is used
for protection, decoration, beautification, adornment, self expression, status symbol and to
express one’s personality. Clothing helps one to meet one of the basic human needs which
provide satisfaction and enjoyment in life. The clothing and textile programme in Nigerian
Universities is made up of the following; textile studies, textile design, textile production,
clothing design, pattern drafting, clothing production and clothing maintenance. The clothing
component is concerned with knowledge, skills and attitude needed to design and construct
clothing, while the textile component deals with knowledge of different textile principles and
clothing selection and maintenance (Waudo, 1993). Activities in clothing maintenance include
sorting, mending, washing, drying, ironing and packaging.
Sorting of clothing is the practice of selecting cloths of similar characteristics together
before washing. Lauren (2010) stated that cloths can be sorted by colour, weight and stains.
Sorting clothes decreases the chances of garments of different colours bleeding into another
during or after washing. Washing is the actual removal of dirt or stains from cloths with the
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mixture of soap or detergent in water. Iwuoha (2013) affirmed that laundry generally involves
the use of soap, detergents and water to clean clothes. The modern method of washing clothes is
through the use of electric-powered washing machines. The washing machine according to the
report of Textile Industry Affairs (2005) is the outcome of years of research which gives many
years of excellent service. Its concept satisfies all current and future washing requirements. Its
low water, power and detergent consumption help protect the environment and reduce running
costs to a minimum. After the clothe is washed, it is dried and ironed. Readers Digest (2005)
described clothes ironing as a means of smoothing and shaping garments or articles with heat,
moisture, and pressure with hot iron. Ironing gives a smooth and well-made look to clothing. The
aforementioned clothing maintenance activities are the functions of modern day entrepreneurs in
laundry and dry cleaning enterprise.
An entrepreneur is a person who perceives business opportunities and takes advantage of
the scarce resources to use them (National Institute of Management, 2005). According to
Timmons (1987) an entrepreneur creates and builds something of value from practically nothing
which is of benefit to individual, groups, organization and society. Entrepreneurship skills
according to Olaitan and Onuka (2004) are the skills which are needed to conceive, plan,
establish and successfully run an enterprise using human and non-human resources. In the view
of Onuoha (1991) entrepreneurship skills will make one become good facilitator, organizer, and
coordinator of both human and material resources, human relation experts, manager, supervisor,
proprietor, problem solver and skill evaluator. Entrepreneurship skills expose one to the
intricacies of advertisement, how to keep records of incoming and ongoing revenue, records of
facilities and reasons for keeping such records. Other entrepreneurship skills which can help the
entrepreneurs are effective income and expenses control, how to keep track of profit, how to
assess and manage loan in different businesses such as laundry and dry cleaning enterprise where
graduates of Home economics and teaming Nigerian youths can be gainfully employed.
The high rate of unemployment among Nigerian graduates is disheartening and
unfavourable. The teeming Nigerian graduates today including graduates of Home economics
education migrate to cities in search for white collar jobs that do not exist. They increase the
population of the cities such as Port Harcourt, Abuja and Lagos etc which result to high rate of
unemployment and crime in the cities. It is therefore believed that if the advantage of lucrative
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nature and the increasing demand for services of laundry and dry cleaners in cities like Lagos
could be utilized by youths, their present level of unemployment will be reduced.
Purpose of the study:
The major purpose of the study was to identify entrepreneurial skills required by Home
Economics graduates for establishing and managing modern laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise in Lagos State
Specifically, the study identified entrepreneurial skills required by Home Economics graduates
for:
1. planning modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State,
2. sorting and operating washing machine in modern laundering and dry cleaning enterprise
in Lagos State,
3. drying and ironing clothing in modern laundering and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos
State.
Research Questions
Based on the specific purposes of the study, the study answered the following research
questions:
1. What are planning skills required by Home economics graduates for establishing
modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
2. What are sorting and washing machine operating skills required by Home economics
graduates in modern laundering and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
3. What are drying and ironing skills required by Home economics graduates in modern
laundering and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
Hypotheses
H01: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home Economics
Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on planning skills
required by Home Economics graduates in establishing modern laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise in Lagos State.
H02: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home Economics
Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on sorting and washing
machine operating skills required by Home economics graduates in modern laundering
and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
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H03: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home Economics
Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on drying and ironing
skills required by Home economics graduates in modern laundering and dry cleaning
enterprise in Lagos State.
Methodology
The study was carried out in Lagos State Nigeria. The population for the study consisted
of 1,705 subjects which include all the 62 Home economics lecturers in six tertiary institutions in
the state and 1,643 registered modern laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs in the State. The
sample for the study was 313 respondents. This includes all the 62 Home economics lecturers
and randomly sampled 251 registered modern laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs in the
State. The 251 registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs were obtained through random
sampling of three out of the 20 Local Government Areas of Lagos State. The Local Government
Areas randomly selected were Agege, Ikeja and Surulere. The instrument for data collection for
the study was a 62-item structured questionnaire titled: “Entrepreneurial Skills in Modern
Laundry and Dry Cleaning Enterprise Questionnaire (ESMLDCEQ). The questionnaire was
structured on a 4-point rating scale of Highly Required (HR); Moderately Required (MR); Less
Required (LR) and Not Required (NR) with corresponding values of 4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively.
The instrument was face-validated by three experts. For the purpose of ascertaining the internal
consistency of the instrument, 15 copies of the instrument were administered to 5 lecturers and
10 laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs in Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used in which a reliability coefficient of 0.86 was
obtained. Data for this study were collected with the help of six research assistants that joined
the researcher making seven enumerators for data collection. Out of the 313 copies of the
questionnaire administered to the respondents, 297 were retrieved and completely filled
representing 94.8% rate of return. The data collected were analysed using mean for answering
the research questions while t-test statistics was used for testing the null hypotheses at 0.05 level
of significance. Cut-off point value of 2.50 on 4-point rating scale was used to interpret the
results of the study. Therefore, items with mean values of 2.50 and above were regarded as
“Required” and while those with mean values of less than 2.50 were regarded as “Not Required”.
On the hypotheses tested, the null hypothesis of no significant difference was accepted for items
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whose p-values were greater than 0.05 level of significance while hypothesis of no significant
difference was rejected for items whose p-value were less than 0.05 level of significance.
Results
The results for this study were obtained based on the research questions answered and
hypotheses tested. Both the research questions and the hypotheses are presented on Tables 1, 2
and 3 as follows:
Research Question 1: What are planning skills required by Home economics graduates for
establishing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
Null Hypothesis 1: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home
Economics Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on planning
skills required by Home Economics graduates in establishing modern laundry and dry
cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
The data for answering research question one and testing hypothesis one are presented in Table 1
below:
Table 1: Mean Ratings and t-test Statistics of the Responses of Home Economics Lecturers
and Laundry and Dry Cleaning Entrepreneurs on Planning Skills required by Home
Economics graduates in Establishing Modern Laundry and Dry Cleaning Enterprise.
(N = 297)
pSN Planning Skills
XLec XEnt XG
SD valu Remarks
e
RQ
H0
1 Formulate specific objectives of 3.73 3.74 3.74 0.62 0.11 Rqd NS
the laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise.
2 Drawing up feasibility study for of 3.59 3.62 3.61 0.54 0.33 Rqd NS
the laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise in the area.
3 Plan the farm budget to reflect 3.48 3.50 3.50 0.61 0.64 Rqd NS
laundry
and
dry
cleaning
enterprise.
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4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
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Fix prices on service render based
on the cost of rendering the
services ant types of clothing
involved.
Make plans for advertisement of
the service to attract patronage
from customers
Obtain relevant information from
experienced laundry and dry
cleaning entrepreneurs in the area.
Identify source of finance to start
up the laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise.
Make appropriate selection of the
laundry
and
dry
cleaning
enterprise location.
Carry out a feasibility study on
patronage of laundry and dry
cleaning services in the area.
Select suitable supporting staff to
manage the laundry and dry
cleaning enterprise.
Set up plans for source of water in
the dry cleaning enterprise.
Source for alternative power
supply such as generator set.
Estimate the laundry and dry
cleaning enterprise net income to
determine its worth.
Make
plans
for
necessary
equipment and tools such as
washing machines, pressing iron,
ironing board etc.
Identify relevant records to keep in
order to determine profit and loss
in the dry cleaning enterprise.
3.64
3.69
3.66
0.57
0.23
Rqd
NS
3.28
3.31
3.30
0.85
0.58
Rqd
NS
3.56
3.51
3.54
0.84
0.10
Rqd
NS
3.79
3.47
3.63
0.80
0.04
Rqd
Sig
3.43
3.44
3.43
0.76
0.78
Rqd
NS
3.41
3.49
3.45
0.71
0.10
Rqd
NS
3.57
3.59
3.58
0.86
0.72
Rqd
NS
3.08
3.17
3.12
0.82
0.26
Rqd
NS
3.30
3.05
3.17
0.79
0.01
Rqd
Sig
3.56
3.59
3.57
0.69
0.20
Rqd
NS
3.66
3.67
3.67
0.69
0.77
Rqd
NS
3.73
3.74
3.73
0.67
0.91
Rqd
NS
Key: XLec = Mean of Home Lecturers; XEnt = Mean of Entrepreneurs; XG = Overall Grand
Mean;
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Rqd = Required; N= No of Respondents; Level of Sig. = 0.05; Sig = Significant; NS =
Not Significant.
From the data presented on Table 1 above, it was revealed that the grand mean ratings of
the responses of the respondents on the 15 items in the table ranged from 3.12 to 3.74 which
were all greater than the cut-off point value of 2.50 on a 4-point rating scale. This finding
indicates that all the 15 identified items in the table are planning skills required by Home
economics graduates for establishing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
The result in Table 1 on null hypothesis one showed that the p-values of 13 out of the 15
items in the table ranged from 0.10 to 0.91 which were greater than 0.05 level of significance.
This indicated that there are no significant differences in the mean ratings of the responses of
Home economics lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on the 13
identified planning skills required by Home Economics graduates in establishing modern laundry
and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State. Therefore, the hypothesis of no significant difference
in the mean ratings of the responses of the two groups of respondents is accepted on the 13
items. The p-values of items 7 and 12 are 0.04 and 0.01 respectively which are less than 0.05
level of significance. This finding implied that there are significant differences in the mean
ratings of the responses of Home economics lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning
entrepreneurs on the two planning skills. Therefore, the hypothesis of no significant difference in
the mean ratings of the responses of the two groups of respondents is rejected on the remaining
two planning skills.
Research Question 2: What are sorting and washing machine operating skills required by
Home economics graduates in modern laundering and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
Ho2: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home Economics
Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on sorting and washing
machine operating skills required by Home economics graduates in modern laundering
and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
The data for answering research question two and testing hypothesis two are presented in
Table 2 below:
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Table 2: Mean Ratings and t-test Statistics of the Responses of Home Economics Lecturers
and Entrepreneurs on Sorting and Washing Machine Operating Skills Required by
Home economics Graduates
(N = 297)
pSN Cloth Sorting Skills
XLec XEnt XG SD valu Remarks
e
RQ
H0
1 Sort cloth by colour e.g White t-shirts, 3.56 3.50 3.53 0.93 0.45 Rqd NS
white underwear, white socks
2 Sorting clothes by fabric weight
3.56 3.55 3.56 0.73 0.24 Rqd NS
3
3.54 3.53 3.53 0.81 0.90 Rqd NS
Dealing with stains while sorting
cloths
4 Sorting newborn outfits separately 3.52 3.56 3.54 0.95 0.31 Rqd NS
because of their common pastel
colours
5 Use knowledge of clothing labels and 3.66 3.67 3.67 0.69 0.77 Rqd NS
sort clothes in preparation for washing
6 Garments that generate lint, such as 3.73 3.74 3.73 0.67 0.91 Rqd NS
fleece sweatshirts and towels, should be
sorted and washed separately
7 Empty all pockets to ensure no object is 3.71 3.66 3.69 0.80 0.50 Rqd NS
hidden.
8 Close zippers, hooks, button and eyes, 3.57 3.59 3.58 0.86 0.72 Rqd NS
etc
9 Remove belts, trims or pins that are not 3.10 3.18 3.14 0.82 0.26 Rqd NS
washable
10 Turn shirts with beads or decorations 3.30 3.05 3.17 0.79 0.01 Rqd Si
inside out before washing to prevent
g
damage to the design.
Washing Machine Operating Skills
11 Put on the washing machine using the 3.55 3.57 3.56 0.70 0.59 Rqd NS
power button.
12 Prepare laundry detergent according the 3.60 3.65 3.62 0.68 0.57 Rqd NS
cloths to launder.
13 Tie strings and sashes loosely to avoid 3.48 3.43 3.45 0.66 0.27 Rqd NS
tangling
14 Mend rips or tears before laundering
3.68 3.43 3.58 0.99 0.03 Rqd Si
g
15 Identified and follow washing sequences 3.55 3.57 3.56 0.70 0.59 Rqd NS
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for a given process or product
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
Put on protective clothing when
handling soiled product
Load automatic washing machine with
correct weight and colour of cloths
Operate washing machine in accordance
with operating instruction
Use washing machines safely and
efficiently
Check the voltage and frequency of the
electrical power supply match the
ratings on the washing machine
Connect washing machine to water
supply with new hoses supplied with the
appliance.
Make sure the drain hose is securely
attached to the basin of the washing
machine before putting on.
Avoid washing petrol-soaked garments
in the washing machine
Drain water from machine when cloths
are clean
Open the door when all the water has
drained away
Remove cloths from the washing
machine when the drum has stopped
moving.
Leave the door of the washing machine
ajar before the next load of cloths.
3.60
3.65
3.62
0.68
0.57
Rqd NS
3.39
3.35
3.37
0.82
0.51
Rqd NS
3.44
3.57
3.50
0.69
0.64
Rqd NS
3.48
3.43
3.45
0.66
0.27
Rqd NS
3.64
3.40
3.52
0.99
0.03
Rqd
3.45
3.37
3.21
0.87
0.22
Rqd NS
3.31
3.35
3.28
1.01
0.13
Rqd NS
3.55
3.51
3.53
1.00
0.95
Rqd NS
3.55
3.44
3.50
0.91
0.25
Rqd NS
3.63
3.59
3.61
0.77
0.30
Rqd NS
3.50
3.45
3.47
0.64
0.19
Rqd NS
3.35
3.37
3.36
0.84
0.72
Rqd NS
Si
g
Key: XLec = Mean of Home Lecturers; XEnt = Mean of Entrepreneurs; XG = Overall Grand
Mean;
Rqd = Required; N= No of Respondents; Level of Sig. = 0.05; Sig = Significant; NS =
Not Significant.
Table 2 shows that the Grand Mean ratings of the responses of the respondents on the 27
items in the table ranged from 3.14 to 3.73 which were all greater than the cut-off point value of
2.50 on a 4-point rating scale. This finding indicates that all the 27 identified items in the table
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are skills required by Home economics graduates for sorting and operating washing machine in
modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
The data presented on Table 2 on null hypothesis 2 showed that the p-values of 24 out of
the 27 items in the table ranged from 0.13 to 0.95 which were greater than 0.05 level of
significance. This implied that there are no significant differences in the mean ratings of the
responses of Home economics lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on
the 24 identified sorting and washing machine operating skills required by Home Economics
graduates in managing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State. Therefore, the
hypothesis of no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of the two groups of
respondents is accepted on the 24 items. The p-values of items 10, 14 and 20 are 0.01, 0.03 and
0.03 respectively which are less than 0.05 level of significance. This finding implied that there
are significant differences in the mean ratings of the responses of Home economics lecturers and
registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on the three sorting and washing machine
operating skills. Therefore, the hypothesis of no significant difference in the mean ratings of the
responses of the two groups of respondents is rejected on the remaining three items.
Research Question Three: What are drying and ironing skills required by Home economics
graduates in modern laundering and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State?
Ho3: There is no significant difference between the mean responses of Home Economics
Lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on drying and ironing
skills required by Home economics graduates in modern laundering and dry cleaning
enterprise in Lagos State.
Table 3: Mean Ratings and t-test Statistics of the Responses of Home Economics Lecturers and
Laundry and Dry Cleaning Entrepreneurs on Drying and Ironing Skills Required
by Home Economics Graduates in Modern Laundering and Dry Cleaning
Enterprise
(N = 297)
pRemarks
SN Drying Skills
XLec XEnt XG
SD valu RQ
e
H0
1 Spread cloths of same colours together.
3.45 3.37 3.41 0.70 0.94 Rqd NS
2 Spread cloths of the same weight together. 3.52 3.50 3.51 0.80 0.14 Rqd NS
3 Spread cloths in tight and secure place to 3.57 3.20 3.39 0.71 0.02 Rqd Sig
avoid theft.
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3.41
3.38
3.40
0.72
0.09
Rqd
NS
3.46
3.45
3.46
0.73
0.17
Rqd
NS
3.41
3.48
3.45
0.66
0.23
Rqd
NS
3.51
3.58
3.54
0.63
0.17
Rqd
NS
3.54
3.63
3.59
0.65
0.47
Rqd
NS
3.49
3.47
3.48
0.75
0.16
Rqd
NS
3.35
3.47
3.38
0.68
0.02
Rqd
NS
3.40
3.51
3.52
3.53
3.46
3.52
0.59
0.68
0.20
0.22
Rqd
Rqd
NS
NS
3.30
3.50
3.40
0.82
0.04
Rqd
Sig
14
Use the edges of hot iron to press around 3.70
button, hook etc.
3.72
3.71
0.65
0.16
Rqd
NS
15
Clean the soleplate of the iron when 3.68
becomes necessary
3.64
3.66
0.50
0.15
Rqd
NS
16
Ironing dull-finished fabrics on the wrong 3.61
side to avoid shining
3.65
3.63
0.51
0.29
Rqd
NS
17
Ironing napped, sueded and brushed 3.62
fabrics on the wrong side on a softly
padded board
Press velvet with large amounts of steam 3.61
and very little pressure
3.61
3.61
0.54
0.77
Rqd
NS
3.59
3.60
0.54
0.59
Rqd
NS
Leave a steam-pressing area of cloth to 3.53
dry before handle it again
3.60
3.57
0.59
0.17
Rqd
NS
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
18
19
Clip spread cloths to avoid falling to mud
or stain
Create enough space for spreading cloths
for fast drying.
Remove dried cloths from the sun to avoid
fray due to excess sun
Ironing Skills
Prepare ironing board ready for pressing
cloths
Moist cloths lightly before ironing to
ensure smoothness of the cloths
Regulate the iron temperature according
the content of the fabric e.g cotton,
polysters, nylon, linen, wool, silk etc.
Spread cloths on the ironing board to
avoid being squeezed
Apply light pressure pressing the cloths
Lower and lift iron carefully by keeping
most of the weight of the iron in the hand.
Avoid pressing over pins as it may leave a
mark in the fabric.
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Pack pressed cloths in transparent nylon to 3.40
avoid dirt.
3.43
3.41
0.79
0.55
Rqd
NS
Key: XLec = Mean of Home Lecturers; XEnt = Mean of Entrepreneurs; XG = Overall Grand
Mean;
Rqd = Required; N= No of Respondents; Level of Sig. = 0.05; NS = Not Significant.
Table 3 revealed that the grand mean ratings of the responses of the respondents on the
20 items in the table ranged from 3.38 to 3.71 which were all greater than the cut-off point value
of 2.50 on a 4-point rating scale. This finding indicates that all the 20 identified items in the table
are skills required by Home economics graduates for drying and ironing cloths in modern
laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
The data presented on Table 3 on null hypothesis 3 revealed that the p-values of 18 out of
the 20 items in the table ranged from 0.14 to 0.94 which were greater than 0.05 level of
significance. This showed that there are no significant differences in the mean ratings of the
responses of Home economics lecturers and registered laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on
the 18 identified cloths drying and ironing skills required by Home Economics graduates in
managing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State. Therefore, the hypothesis
of no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of the two groups of respondents
is accepted on the 18 items. The p-values of items 3 and 13 are 0.02 and 0.04 respectively which
are less than 0.05 level of significance. This finding indicated that there are significant
differences in the mean ratings of the responses of Home economics lecturers and registered
laundry and dry cleaning entrepreneurs on the two cloths drying and ironing skills. Therefore, the
hypothesis of no significant difference in the mean ratings of the responses of the two groups of
respondents is rejected on the remaining two items.
Discussion of Findings
This study identified 15 planning skills required by Home economics graduates for
establishing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise which include: formulating specific
objectives of the laundry and dry cleaning enterprise, drawing up feasibility study for of the
laundry and dry cleaning enterprise, planning the farm budget to reflect laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise, making plans for advertisement of the service to attract patronage from customers,
identifying source of finance to start up the laundry and dry cleaning enterprise, making
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appropriate selection of the laundry and dry cleaning enterprise location, carrying out a
feasibility study on patronage of laundry and dry cleaning services and selecting suitable
supporting staff to manage the laundry and dry cleaning enterprise. The findings of this study
agreed with that of Akwaji (2006) who identified planning skills to include: setting goals for
enterprise, review of the goals periodically among others. The result of this study is also in
agreement with the findings of Ibrahim (2007) who found planning skills to include: decision on
the type of farming practices to be adopted, identification of inputs for the enterprise and
identification of sources of fund and so on.
This study identified 27 skills that are required by Home economics graduates for cloth
sorting and washing using washing machine which include: sorting cloth by colour, sorting
clothes by fabric weight, dealing with stains while sorting cloths, sorting newborn outfits
separately because of their common pastel colours, empty all pockets to ensure no object is
hidden, closing zippers, hooks, button and eyes, putting on the washing machine using the power
button, preparing laundry detergent according the cloths to launder, tying strings and sashes
loosely to avoid tangling, mending rips or tears before laundering, identifying and follow
washing sequences for a given process or product and putting on protective clothing when
handling soiled product. This finding supported the result of Mark (2006) who identified laundry
skills to include sorting of cloth, removing stains, closing zip before washing, putting on the
washing machine using the power button, tying strings and sashes loosely to avoid tangling
among others. Lauren (2010) also identified cloths sorting skills to include: sorting cloth by
colour, sorting clothes by fabric weight, remove stains while sorting cloths and sort newborn
outfits separately.
This study identified 20 skills that are required by Home economics graduates for cloth
drying and ironing cloths which include: spread cloths of same colours together, spread cloths of
the same weight together, spread cloths in tight and secure place to avoid theft, clip spread cloths
to avoid falling to mud or stain, prepare ironing board ready for pressing cloths, moist cloths
lightly before ironing to ensure smoothness of the cloths, apply light pressure pressing the cloths,
spread cloths on the ironing board to avoid being squeezed, lower and lift iron carefully by
keeping most of the weight of the iron in the hand, use the edges of hot iron to press around
button, hook etc and clean the soleplate of the iron when becomes necessary. The findings of this
study corroborated the report of Reader Digest (2005) who develop a complete guide to sewing
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and garment management and found that to iron cloth, the ironing board must be prepared,
foamy layer must be prepare on the ironing board, moist cloths lightly before ironing, spread
cloths on the ironing board and apply light pressure pressing the cloths.
Conclusion
It is the wish of Lagos State government to improve the livelihood of the people in the
state including the teaming youth and graduates by empowering them with saleable skills for self
or paid job to earn a living. Considering the increasing population of working class in Lagos
State who need laundry services and the lucrative nature of laundry and dry cleaning enterprise,
this study was therefore carried out to identify entrepreneurial skills required by Home
economics graduates for managing modern laundry and dry cleaning enterprise in Lagos State.
Based on the data collected and analysed, the study identified 15 skills in planning laundry and
dry cleaning enterprise, 27 cloth sorting and washing machine operating skills and 20 drying and
ironing skills for success in laundry and dry cleaning enterprise. It is therefore concluded that if
the government of Lagos State can adopt the identified skills in laundry and dry cleaning
enterprise for training teaming youths and graduates including graduates of Home economics in
the state, the present high rate of unemployment in the state will be reversed. Also, poverty and
crime rate among the youths in the state will be greatly reduced if they are occupied with
economic activity like laundry services.
Recommendations.
Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations were made for
implementation by the Lagos State Government:
1.
That Lagos State Government should help package the identified entrepreneurial skills in
laundry and dry cleaning into programmes for training the idle graduates and youth in the
state for employment opportunity to earn a living.
2.
That the State Government should help provide soft loans to interested Home economics
and other graduates for establishing and managing their own modern laundry and dry
cleaning enterprise in the state.
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eISSN: 2489-0170 pISSN:2489-4162 University of Uyo
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