STUDENT READINESS FOR THE FIELD OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A SURVEY OF POLYTECHNIC AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN JOHOR

Abstract

Abstract: This study measured the readiness level of Polytechnic and Community College students in Johor to venture into entrepreneurship. It also aimed to identify the influence of student’s attitudes, subjective norms and behavior control on their entrepreneurial readiness intentions. The research used a quantitative approach, where the data collected was analysed using IBM SPSS version 29. Additionally, the study adopted the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify factors influencing student’s intentions and readiness for entrepreneurship. A total of 305 questionnaires were randomly distributed to students from Polytechnic and Community Colleges in Johor who participated in entrepreneurship programs organized by the Johor Polytechnic and Community College Entrepreneurship Unit throughout 2024. The findings revealed that the variables attitude and subjective norms significantly influenced student’s entrepreneurial readiness intentions. However, behavior control showed no significant impact. Overall, the average score for the student’s readiness level in entrepreneurship was 3.48, which indicates a moderately high readiness level to venture into entrepreneurship after graduation. One of the suggested recommendations is to use a qualitative approach, such as interviews to gain more in-depth and comprehensive insights into the factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions among students.
Keywords: Readiness Intention, Students, Planned Behaviour Theory (TPB), Entrepreneurship