Entrepreneurship Intentions of Graduating Class Students: A Case of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University

Abstract

Entrepreneurship has been widely embraced as a strategic way to increasing youth economic engagement. The purpose of this study aims at seeking to identify whether entrepreneurial intentions exist among university students. The study looked at the graduating class of 2019/20 undergraduate students' of Addis Ababa Science and Technology University’s perceptions about entrepreneurial intentions. The study proposes different factors that could affect the students’ intentions towards entrepreneurship like the student’s gender, social class, entrepreneurial education, self – efficacy, attitude towards entrepreneurship. The study's sample size is 124 students, with 48 men and 76 women. Both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies were used in the study. Questionnaires were used to collect primary data by using an online form by considering social distancing to apply Covid – 19 protocols, and secondary data was gathered from books, journals, previous research works, the university’s website and the internet. To choose a proportional number of samples from the study area, simple random selection was performed. According to the findings, the university should build the student’s belief in their capabilities to create and execute job and being independent and the other thing is attitudes to be self-employed to the students’ perceptions which could play a vital role to boost students' confidence in performing entrepreneurial responsibilities and activities.