Entrepreneurial Competencies and Career Intentions: An Empirical Analysis of Graduating Entrepreneurship Students

Abstract

This is a descriptive-evaluative research study that assessed the entrepreneurial readiness and post-graduation career intentions of graduating students of a local college in the Negros Island Region, Philippines, in the degree program Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship (N=99). For the academic year 2025-2026, there has been a shift from traditional employment to a microenterprise culture. This makes this study relevant and necessary for a local/ community college. The study is anchored on human capital and intention-based models, in which self-efficacy and motivation are examined as determinants of entrepreneurial behavior. This study utilized a researcher-developed tool with its psychometric properties developed using construct validity (Confirmatory Factor Analysis, X²=935.28, p=<0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha, α=0.97). Data revealed that 45.5% of graduating students have definite plans to start a business after graduation, with 33.3% already running businesses. However, the majority of graduates (53.5%) remain undecided. Inferentially, demographic factors such as gender (p=0.104) and age (p=0.130) do not significantly determine an entrepreneurial mindset. However, the confidence level emerged as a significant determinant of entrepreneurial mindset (r=0.524, p=<0.0001). There was a strong preference for the food and beverage industry (61.2%) among the graduating students. This study concludes that there is an existing confidence gap among undecided graduating students of this community college. Although the curriculum of the BS Entrepreneurship program already teaches technical skills in entrepreneurship. And so, the recommendations include confidence-based experiential learning, the addition of culinary and agri-tech electives, and digital entrepreneurship to be infused within the degree program’s curriculum and relevant course syllabi. All of these are intended to better match student readiness with Bacolod City economic opportunities.