Entrepreneurship Education and Business Start-Up Intent Among Vocational Students in Enugu State

This study examines the impact of entrepreneurship education on business start-up intention among vocational and technical students at government technical colleges in Enugu State, South East Nigeria. Vocational education is widely regarded as a natural complement to entrepreneurship training because it provides technical skills that are directly applicable to self-employment, yet the degree to which entrepreneurship education components in technical college curricula actually translate into enhanced start-up intent has not been empirically tested in the Enugu context. The study employs a descriptive correlational design, administering a validated entrepreneurial intent questionnaire to 250 final-year vocational students in Electrical Installation, Carpentry, and Catering and Hospitality programmes at six technical colleges across Enugu State. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses examined the relationship between entrepreneurship education exposure and start-up intent. Findings indicate a significant positive relationship between entrepreneurship education engagement and start-up intent, with students who report higher-quality entrepreneurship instruction showing 40 percent stronger intent scores than those who describe their entrepreneurship lessons as purely theoretical. Perceived desirability of entrepreneurship and perceived feasibility both mediate the education-to-intent relationship. Students in Catering programmes show the highest start-up intent, possibly reflecting lower perceived capital barriers in food entrepreneurship. Recommendations include a curriculum revision that introduces practical business planning, market research exercises, and field visits to successful small enterprises as components of vocational entrepreneurship courses across Enugu State technical colleges. Keywords: entrepreneurship education, start-up intent, vocational students, technical college, Enugu State.