DETERMINANTS OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INTENTIONS: TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET) IN SRI LANKA

Purpose of the study: This study is focused to investigate the determinants of the entrepreneurial intention of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students in Sri Lanka. Methodology: The research model comprises seven independent variables i.e. entrepreneurial attitude, perceived self-efficacy, social capital, demographic factors, perceived financial support, perceived regulatory support, perceived technical vocational education, and training and dependent variables of entrepreneurial intention. The primary data was collected through administering structured questionnaires among a hundred and twenty-eight TVET students represented by three TVET sector institutions in Sri Lanka. Linear regression was applied to test the hypotheses. Main Findings: The findings of the study revealed a positive and significant impact of the variables of entrepreneurial attitudes and perceived technical vocational education and training on entrepreneurial intention of TVET students of Sri Lanka. TVET student attitudes pertaining to entrepreneurship intention are positive since they perceive that TVET enhances their entrepreneurship education and this is very important to the policymakers in entrepreneurship development to initiate effective strategies to foster entrepreneurship for TVET students. Implications: This research study provides an academic contribution to enhance the entrepreneurial intention among the TVET students in Sri Lanka.