Guidance Counselling Strategies for Enhancing Entrepreneurial Intention Among Graduates of Polytechnics in Oyo State

Strengthening entrepreneurial intention among polytechnic graduates is a national developmental imperative in Nigeria, where youth unemployment continues to outpace the absorptive capacity of the formal labour market. This study examined guidance counselling strategies for enhancing entrepreneurial intention among graduates of polytechnics in Oyo State, South West Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was employed, involving 300 final-year and recently graduated students from two polytechnics. The Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ) and a Counselling Strategy Utilisation Inventory were administered. Data were analysed using means, standard deviations, and regression analysis. Findings indicated that entrepreneurial intention was moderate overall, with self-employment feasibility and fear of failure being the strongest constraining factors. Students who had participated in counsellor-facilitated entrepreneurship workshops demonstrated significantly higher entrepreneurial intention scores. Exposure to entrepreneurial role models through guidance-organised mentorship activities was the most strongly cited positive influence. The study concluded that guidance counsellors in Oyo State polytechnics have a strategic and underutilised role in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset. Recommendations included the formal integration of entrepreneurial guidance into the polytechnic counselling curriculum and collaboration between counselling units and enterprise development organisations to create practical exposure opportunities for students. Keywords: entrepreneurial intention, guidance counselling, polytechnic graduates, Oyo State, career development.