Purpose The persistent challenges of graduate unemployment call for entrepreneurial promotion for economic sustainability. Although Vietnam has invested heavily in entrepreneurship education (EE), the procedures by which EE becomes action -oriented are unclear. This study uses the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to explore Vietnam's Generation Z students' entrepreneurial intention (EI) factors to fill theory gaps. The study explores entrepreneurship education (EE) and investigates the mediation of entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) as well as the moderating role of perceived structural support (PSS). Design/methodology/approach Quantitative research was conducted using a cross-sectional survey and purposive sampling, analyzing data from 339 university students in Vietnam with the partial least squares structural equation modeling method. Findings The results confirm that EE significantly enhances both ESE and EI. ESE also exerts a positive influence on EI. Moreover, PSS plays a positive moderating role in the connections between EE, ESE and EI. These results underscore the relevance of the SCCT among young individuals in developing economies. Practical implications These findings provide valuable insights for educators and policymakers. Educators ought to create experiential EE modules in partnership with industry stakeholders. Policymakers can enhance entrepreneurship ecosystems through the implementation of targeted financial aid programs and incubator initiatives that provide structural support (SS) for new entrepreneurs. Originality/value This study expands a lens of the SCCT through an explanatory mechanism for the often-inconsistent results concerning the EE–ESE-EI link. By including PSS as a moderator, this study demonstrates how SS mechanisms boost the entrepreneurial ambitions of Generation Z students.
Tung et al. (2026) studied this question.