From job seekers to job creators: modelling the impact of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention on entrepreneurial action in technical institutions

Purpose Unemployment among the youth is a major challenge that continues to rise in countries despite the efforts to invest in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). In spite of entrepreneurship education (EE), which is advocated as an avenue through which graduate job seekers are equipped to become job creators, limited empirical evidence is available to describe how the education translates into entrepreneurial outcomes. In this paper, the authors explore the impact of EE on entrepreneurial action (EA) and determine whether entrepreneurial intention (EI) mediates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was used to collect data from 390 students studying in accredited TVET institutions in Ghana. The direct and indirect relationships between the variables were tested using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with AMOS. Findings The findings indicated that EE had a statistically significant positive effect on Entrepreneurial Intention (EI) and EA. Also, EI had a statistically significant positive effect on EA. In the mediation analysis, the role of EI in mediating the nexus between EE and EA was confirmed. That proved that intention is an important psychological mechanism of the education-to-venture creation relationship. These findings indicate the mental and behavioural processes by which EE increases venture creation preparedness. Practical implications The results indicate that experiential and practice-based EE is necessary in TVET institutions. Educators and policy-makers ought should enhance the industry partnerships, business incubation and start-up support to enable students to convert their entrepreneurial will into sustainable jobs and venture establishment. Originality/value This paper is significant to the study of entrepreneurship as it empirically identifies the mediating impact of EI on the relationship between EE and EA by providing policy and curriculum-related evidence on the subject.