Factors Influencing Employability among Business Students at UITM Pahang, Jengka Campus

Factors Influencing Employability Among Business Students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus

Muhammad Iqmal Haziq Saadun, Muhammad Haziq Hafizudin Mohd Noor Razmawee, Khairu Zikry Khairu Radzi, Nur Amnani Ahmad Yani, Mohd Zaidi Mat Saat

Faculty of Business and Management at University Technology MARA, Pahang Branch, Jengka Campus, Pahang, Malaysia

^*Corresponding Author

DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.47772/IJRISS.2025.907000297

Received: 08 July 2025; Accepted: 14 July 2025; Published: 14 August 2025

ABSTRACT

Youth unemployment and skill-related underemployment remain significant challenges in Malaysia, highlighting the urgent need to align educational outcomes with labor market demands. This study investigates the relationship between Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Intention, and Employability among Business Students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus. The research focuses on key components of entrepreneurship education (entrepreneurial university climate, curricula, knowledge, and skills) and their influence on employability outcomes, with entrepreneurial intention as a contributing factor. Using quantitative research design, data were collected from 163 respondents through structured questionnaires and analyzed using Pearson correlation, mean analysis, and regression techniques. The findings reveal significant positive relationships between entrepreneurship education and employability, with entrepreneurial skills showing the strongest correlation. Similarly, entrepreneurial intention was found to have a strong and significant positive influence on employability. The study also highlights a high level of employability among the sample population, with a mean score of 4.03, and demonstrates that 62.6% of the variance in employability is explained by entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. These results contribute to the theoretical understanding of how entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention enhance employability. The study underscores the importance of integrating entrepreneurial elements into educational curricula to better prepare students for the workforce. Practical implications include recommendations for educators and policymakers to design more effective entrepreneurship education programs tailored to students’ needs. Despite its focus on a specific cohort, the study highlights areas for future research, such as longitudinal studies and the role of cultural and contextual factors, to further explore the dynamics of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention, and employability.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial University Climate, Entrepreneurial Curricula, Entrepreneurial Knowledge, Entrepreneurial Skills, Entrepreneurship Intention, University Students.

INTRODUCTION

Given the gravity of the issue on youth unemployment in Malaysia, with the Department of Statistics indicating about 12.8% youth unemployment rate of those aged below 24 in 2023; there is urgent need for innovative ways to improve the employability of a graduate (Ogba et al., 2022). In addition, a Malaysian graduate’s estimated one year post graduation employment rate is about 14.5%, creating a mammoth issue for higher education institutions to have their programs match the needs of the industry. This disconnect only makes things worse as the skills taught in academic setting are not comparable with the skills sought by employers and therefore students find themselves with jobs which are not matching their qualifications or even their career goal (Department of Statistics Malaysia 2023). The initiatives are part of a program being launched by the Ministry of Higher Education to mandate at least 75 percent of graduates’ employment within six months of graduation, through the National Graduate Employability Blueprint. However, despite these initiatives, we have noted that the employability rates remain constantly below 86.2% between 2019 and 2020, as the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has substantially decreased, from 86.2% to 84.4% (Ali et al., 2022).

Malaysia’s employment has experienced fluctuations in recent years, particularly due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The employment rate in Malaysia was approximately 67.8% in 2019. However, this rate fell to about 65.2% in 2020 as the pandemic affected various sectors (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2021).  As of 2023, Malaysia’s employment rate stands at approximately 67.5%, reflecting a gradual recovery from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023). Despite this recovery, the youth unemployment rate remains a concern, recorded at around 12.6%, indicating the challenges faced by young graduates entering the job market (Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023).

Table 1.1: Labor force and unemployment rate, Malaysia, 2019 – 2023

Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023

From 2019 to 2023, the labor force data shows both growth and changes in the unemployment rate. The number of people in the labor force increased every year, going from 62.57 million in 2019 to 67.11 million in 2023. At the same time, the unemployment rate went up and down. In 2019, the unemployment rate was low at 3.3%, and up to 4.5% in 2020, reaching its highest point at 4.6% in 2021. This rise was likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused many people to lose their jobs. However, by 2022, the unemployment rate started to drop, going down to 3.9% and then further to 3.4% in 2023. This shows that the economy has started to recover, with more job opportunities becoming available again, bringing the unemployment rate closer to what it was before the pandemic.

Table 2.2: Skill-related underemployment by sex and age group, Malaysia, year 2019 – year 2023

Source: Department of Statistics Malaysia, 2023

The data on skill-related underemployment in Malaysia from the year 2019 to the year 2023 indicates a significant trend in employment dynamics across different demographics. In 2019, the total number of employed individuals was 5,973.4 thousand, with males at 2,784.6 thousand and females at 3,188.8 thousand. This total increased to 6,960.9 thousand in 2020, reflecting a recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had previously led to a rise in underemployment rates as many individuals accepted jobs that did not match their qualifications (Statista, 2023). By 2021, total employment further grew to 7,464.5 thousand but saw a slight decline to 7,340.7 thousand in 2022 before reaching 7,681.6 thousand in 2023. Notably, the age group of 15-24 years showed an increase in employment from 1,309.0 thousand in 2019 to 1,620.9 thousand in 2023, suggesting a gradual improvement in job opportunities for younger workers (Bernama, 2023). However, despite these figures indicating growth in employment numbers, the issue of skill-related underemployment remains critical; as of early 2023, approximately 36.3% of employed individuals were reported to be underemployed, highlighting a persistent mismatch between available jobs and the skills possessed by graduates (Statista, 2023; Bernama, 2023). This situation underscores the need for targeted interventions to align educational outcomes with labor market demands and improve employability among young graduates entering the workforce (Briones et al., 2021).

The release of the Graduates Statistics 2022 by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reveals that Malaysia produced a remarkable 5.92 million graduates in 2022, marking a 5.1% increase from 2021’s figures. This surge in graduates represents approximately 23.1% of the working-age population, indicating a significant contribution to the labor market (“Stats Dept: Malaysia recorded 5.92 million graduates in 2022”, 2023). Among these graduates, degree holders comprised 53.9%, while diploma graduates accounted for 46.1%. Notably, about 5.06 million graduates participated in the labor force, leading to a labor force participation rate of 85.4%. The employment landscape for these graduates showed positive trends, with around 4.87 million employed, reflecting a 6% increase from the previous year. Importantly, two-thirds of employed graduates found positions in skilled occupations, highlighting the demand for higher education qualifications in the job market (“Stats Dept: Malaysia recorded 5.92 million graduates in 2022”, 2023). Furthermore, the unemployment rate among graduates decreased to 3.7%, down from 4.1% in 2021, with a corresponding drop in the number of unemployed graduates from 198,700 to 187,800 (Malay Mail, 2023). Despite these encouraging statistics, challenges remain, particularly regarding skill-related underemployment, which rose by nearly 8% in the same year. This indicates that while many graduates are finding jobs, a significant number are not fully utilizing their skills in their current roles (HR Asia, 2023). These statistics are indicative of the need to bring educational developmental outcomes in line with the requirements of the labor market to deliver graduates that can play their part in economic growth and innovation as Malaysia recovers from the pandemic.

Then, conclusion, Malaysia employment landscape showed gradual recovery post pandemic, higher labor force participation and decreased unemployment rate, in feature among graduates. Nevertheless, extensive work remains to address, for example, the high youth unemployment rate and persistent skill related underemployment, which suggest a mismatch between graduates’ qualifications and jobs. A bright employment outlook notwithstanding, the increase in underemployment underscores the necessity to develop targeted interventions to bolster the matching of educational programs to market needs, such that graduates can fully leverage their skills and make positive contributions to both economic growth and innovation.

The objective of this study is to figure out the link between entrepreneurship education and employability. The aim of this study is to understand how components of entrepreneurship education, including university support systems, particular curricula and the development of entrepreneurial knowledge and skills contribute to raising students’ likelihoods of finding employment. The relationship between curriculum design and students’ preparedness for the workforce in Malaysia is examined by (Isa et al., 2024). The study emphasizes the value of courses that help students advance their knowledge and abilities since this has a direct effect on their flexibility and job readiness. Furthermore, entrepreneurial intention is interpreted as core to shaping students’ behaviors toward entrepreneurial goal achievement, having a strong impact on outcomes related to employers’ employability (Shane & Venkataraman, 2000). The finding seeks to offer practical insights into educational programs for instilling students to be prepared in the new job market.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Employability

Employability is a multifaceted concept that generally refers to a student’s ability to secure employment. This core notion is often elaborated in various ways, presenting diverse interpretations in literature Mel Fugate, Angelo Kinicki, and Blake Ashforth (2004) has defined employability as a “multidimensional constellation of individual characteristics that predispose employees to (pro)actively adapt to their work and career environments.”  According to Harvey (2001), some studies emphasize job type, timing, attributes on recruitment, further learning, and employability skills.  Employability, according to McQuaid and Lindsay (2005), is a combination of an individual’s skills, knowledge, and attitudes as well as a larger interplay between them, their unique situation, and outside variables such as labor market demand) that may enhance or decrease their chances of finding work.

Zhang et al. (2022) stated that one study looked at the ways that university environments, such as club involvement, teaching caliber, and course design, greatly enhance employability.  According to Andrews & Higson (2008), good academic standing and a significant amount of internship experience were associated with increased employability, highlighting the necessity for colleges to foster these factors.  The author also highlights that the employability of graduates is impacted by both “soft skills” (e.g., communication and teamwork) and “hard” technical skills.

Factors Contributing to Employability

According to Tomlinson (2017), formal training and academic credentials are frequently required for employment as they demonstrate foundational knowledge and commitment to a specific field. Employers value candidates who show dedication to maintaining and improving their skills through lifelong learning.

Ongoing education, such as earning certifications or participating in professional development courses, is crucial for staying current, especially in industries where techniques and technologies evolve rapidly (Yorke, 2006).  The ability to adapt to new procedures and technological advancements is increasingly valued in today’s workplace, particularly in dynamic fields that demand innovation (Van der Heijden & De Vos, 2015).  In environments that expect constant change, you want people who are adaptable and willing to learn. Flexibility and during preparation of people for different roles (Fugate et al., 2004) make them lifelong learning.  According to Yamamoto, Ito, Ohnishi, and Nishida (2010) responsibility implies an awareness of taking initiative to act on decisions and actions and acknowledging individuals’ responsibilities to accept the consequences which arise.

As can be seen in the research by Halvorsen et al. (2009), responsibility is the capability of an individual to take responsibility for the success or failure of any activity she remains involved with, rather than finding faults in another.

Relationship between Entrepreneurship Education and Employability

The research made by Nabi et al. (2017) proved that entrepreneurship education provides the individuals key business skills espousing marketing, finance, and operational management, which represents a strong footing for employability. It nurtures innovation, creativity, and problem-solving activities that will serve not only starting a business but working at corporate jobs (Nabi et al., 2017).

According to Gibb (2002) it is also the case that the art of generating and executing new ideas is highly prized in the context of traditional job roles where there is an emphasis on creativity, invention and solving problems. A study by Costin, O’Brien, and Hynes (2022) examined the impact of entrepreneurial education (EE) on students’ entrepreneurial aptitude, confidence, and self-efficacy. While EE programs were effective in enhancing students’ business knowledge and skills, the study found a paradoxical decrease in entrepreneurial confidence and self-efficacy post-program. This suggests that while students gained awareness of the complexities of entrepreneurship, their confidence in their abilities diminished, highlighting the need for EE programs to balance skill development with confidence-building strategies. Along with such a sense of agency and proactive mind frame, it encourages an attitude to accept the challenges and take the initiative, improving employability, said the author. Teaching students to identify and evaluate potential business ventures is a critical aspect of entrepreneurship education, fostering a proactive approach to professional growth (Shane & Venkataraman, 2000).  Through entrepreneurship education, students develop decision-making and risk management skills, preparing them to handle uncertainty in corporate and entrepreneurial contexts where resilience to risk is increasingly vital (De Noble et al., 1999).

Entrepreneurial University Climate

Geissler et al. (2010) emphasize that numerous organizational factors have influenced the entrepreneurial climate at universities. Such study underlines the significance of a supportive campus culture, the existence of entrepreneurial role models, and clear rewards and incentives in encouraging entrepreneurial activity. These qualities adopt an environment that promotes innovation and risk-taking among professors and students. Other research on it relates to researching how universities’ environments and conventions may shape the propensity of research scientists to engage in entrepreneurship.

The involvement of spin-offs, patenting and industry engagement is facilitated by Huyghe and Knockaert (2014) and they emphasize the importance of a supportive organizational environment. The second point is that a supportive culture and climate are critical for entrepreneurial intentions or intentions as many scholars use it. The results of this study show that university support mechanisms like mentorship programs and entrepreneurial tools exert major influence on students’ intents to engage in entrepreneurial activities. This suggests that entrepreneurship education would become more effective when the entrepreneurial environment is sufficiently supported, which would increase students’ employment possibility (Sim et al., 2023).

H1: There is a relationship between Entrepreneurial University Climate and Employability.

Entrepreneurial Curricula

In terms of their value in developing students’ entrepreneurial attitudes and awareness, and in encouraging them to want to apply to start a business, there is a high value placed on entrepreneurship curricula and entrepreneurship programs (Zhang et al., 2013). According to Akhmetshin et al. (2019), universities are about students’ broadening awareness and views on the entrepreneurial environment to release their creativity, explore new ideas. Beyond seeking employment after graduation, students are expected to have the skills learned in college to begin to create career possibilities themselves. Educational program focusing on the entrepreneurial aspect for the purpose of developing spirit, character and entrepreneur. This education is to provide several implemented wisdom and skills concerning entrepreneurship.

Several findings have been clarified by researchers that the entrepreneurial curriculum will increase students’ innovation abilities (Wei et al., 2019). Milda et al. (2023) explains that the independent curriculum imparts entrepreneurial information to students and instills self-confidence and a forward-thinking mindset, allowing students’ creativity to emerge to capitalize on the myriad business possibilities around them. The entrepreneurship program should promote entrepreneurial characteristics such as creativity, decision-making, leadership, social networking, time management, and teamwork (Franco & DeLuca, 2019).

H2: There is a relationship between Entrepreneurial Curricula and Employability.

Entrepreneurial Knowledge

Research indicates that entrepreneurship education (Gangi, 2017) is an important means to develop the mindset, knowledge and capabilities connected with the practice of entrepreneurship. Those with an entrepreneurial attitude, skills and expertise can develop plans that exploit the business possibilities and become business entrepreneurs. Roxas et al. (2009) found that entrepreneurial knowledge and entrepreneurial learning practices help positively identify social norms around entrepreneurial action.

Pham et al. (2023) emphasize the complexity of the significance of entrepreneurial knowledge. Then it tackles how a company’s failure is related to the deficiency of human capital. Students who have entrepreneurial knowledge are at a standing to confidently face problems and keep their firms going. It is critical to the longevity and profitability of new ventures to prepare this way.

In addition, Pham et al. (2023) indicated that entrepreneurial expertise boosts economic growth, as well as employment creation. Economic development that thrives on entrepreneurship creates jobs and expedites economic growth. In Vietnam for example, small and medium sized firms (SMEs) are an important part of the national economy.

H3: There is a relationship between Entrepreneurial Knowledge and Employability.

Entrepreneurial skills

According to Bardales-Cárdenas et al. (2024), entrepreneurial skills consist of a list of competencies that create the necessary causalities for individuals to identify opportunities, innovate, and produce value by initiating and managing new ventures. Skills of critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, risk taking and ability to plan and execute business strategies are these. The level of significance of entrepreneurial skills is that they give students power to play a proactive role in the economy, in line with it. And if we help these students develop these skills, then we prepare them better to go out and start our own businesses, which really creates jobs and economic diversification. The paper highlights the need for entrepreneurial skills to tackle economic and employment situations of developing countries.

According to Bardales-Cárdenas et al. (2024), the entrepreneurial skills holding part offers significant and positive results. In the context of the specific objective, it is found that the adaptation capacities of university students for entrepreneurial skills on local economic development are determined. For instance, it has been noted by (Edwards-Schachter et al., 2015) that having professional and personal skills can be a crucial asset for students as they become an employee themselves. Apart from reflecting on any technical knowledge, having entrepreneurial skills also influences the way students think and enhances their problem-solving ability. In relation to that, Casanovas et al. (2022) stated that there are eight skills that are defined as required for producing active, inclusive, employable, critical citizens, those that refer to having entrepreneurial initiative and talent have increasingly been shown to be the most relevant.

H4: There is a relationship between Entrepreneurial Skills and Employability.

Entrepreneurial Intention

Entrepreneurial intention is a state of mind that directs people’s attention toward achieving a goal or something (Bird, 1988). Individuals intending to establish a business are more inclined to carry it out (Ajzen, 1991), and it is acceptable to claim that investigating entrepreneurial purpose is a useful method to researching actual entrepreneurial conduct. Recent empirical research in the realm of entrepreneurship demonstrates the importance of analyzing entrepreneurial intention. (Lee et al. 2009; Shinnar et al. 2012).

Kautonen et al. (2011) utilized the TPB framework to assess entrepreneurial intentions. The findings indicated that attitude towards entrepreneurship, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control are significant predictors of students’ intentions to engage in entrepreneurial activities. For example, academics have investigated how individual attitude influences IT professionals’ inclination to create a firm (Lee et al. 2011). Investigating the effects of entrepreneurial education and self-efficacy on college students’ entrepreneurial intentions, this research found that higher levels of entrepreneurial self-efficacy significantly predict stronger entrepreneurial intentions. The study highlights the importance of self-efficacy as a key determinant in students’ decisions to pursue entrepreneurial endeavours (Liu et al., 2019; Zhao et al. 2005).

H5: There is a relationship between Entrepreneurial Intention and Employability.

METHODOLOGY

Research Design

Research design is a plan or framework that details how a study will go about research, making sure the question being asked is answered properly. Creswell (2014) considers it as all the methods and procedures used to collect and analyze data so that researchers may remain organized and systematic. It also includes deciding on choosing the right tools and approaches, either quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods, based on study goals. In a good research design a valid and reliable result is achieved while taking up ethical issues, says Bhattacherjee (2012). Research design is important overall because it gives researchers a clear plan for how they will complete their studies and so can allow researchers to make informed decisions along the way.

Unit of Analysis

This study uses units of analysis individual analysis. The research is about employability and entrepreneurial intention stemming off their exposure to entrepreneurship education. This research can study how environmental, such as university support, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial skills development, factors affect individual students’ ability to secure a job or business startup. Among other things, Neuman (2014) reveals that the focus of a study is the unit of analysis and similarly Bryman (2016) warns that the choice of an appropriate unit of analysis is important in ensuring that the study’s objectives are suited to the data collection and analysis process.

Population

In other words, population is the complete set of individuals, events or items that a researcher wants to study, and all subjects related to research questions (Creswell, 2014). To constitute reliability and validity of the results, it is important to the select of sampling method utilizing which the findings reflect the entire population; this is possible if you make it clear how the population is defined.

The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between entrepreneurship education and employability of the students enrolled on the Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus. Together, these programs have 366 students enrolled. The target of this survey is students enrolled in these programs, who have a focus on perception and experience associated with entrepreneurship education and how it has influenced their employability prospects. A detailed study of the relationship between the variables involved can be conducted by this diverse sample, since it carries the quality of being rigorously and effectively executed (Sekaran & Bougie, 2016).

The research targets this population because it offers unique insights into how entrepreneurial intention affects the impact of entrepreneurship education in increasing employability and thus forms a basis for developing better educational strategies for this type of education (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill, 2016).

Sample Size

A sample is a carefully chosen subset of the population being studied and the size of the sample must be right, so the sample accurately represents the whole (Cooper & Schindler, 2008). Sample size thus, as explained by Sekaran (2003) is the actual number of subjects selected to reflect the characteristics of the population. Choosing a small sample can render the research results invalid but choosing a big sample size can be extravagant. Also, the statistical power of the researchers’ tests must also be considered; a large sample size can magnify power enormously, thereby reducing the risk of sampling error (Hair, Bush, & Ortinau, 2003). This means that we can get more reliable and valid results using other researchers, and ultimately the conclusions of the study are fortified.

Power analysis was used to set a suitable sample size for a study (as indicated by Creswell 2014 using G*Power 3.1 software (Faul et al., 2009). A minimum sample size sufficient to evaluate a regression-based model has been identified to include effect size and the number of predictors as parameters, which is 138 (Cohen 1988, Faul et al. 2009). In this study we used 5 independent variables (IV) and only 5 predictors which are 5. We defined the effect size to be medium effect size (0.15) and we set the desired power level at 0.95, resulting in actual power of 95%. G*Power indicates that at least 138 sample sizes are needed for this study, but a review of the sample size indicates that a sample of 138 people is adequate for such a population of 366.

Sampling Procedure

And the sampling is a selecting item from the population to generalize the characteristics of the sample of the population (Sekaran, 2003). Convenience sampling was used in conducting this survey. In contrast to random sampling, convenience sampling, also known as accidental sampling, is the use of non-probability sampling method in which researchers select participants based on their availability and accessibility instead of getting the chance randomly. With this method, researchers can quickly gather data from these individuals who are easiest to reach, which frequently delivers faster results, but opens the question of representativeness (Etikan et al., 2016).

The use of convenience sampling is generally the appropriate approach when working with constraints regarding space and time that make the use of other sampling methods not possible (Etikan et al., 2016). Researchers frequently practice this approach in the beginning of research, prior to pilot studies or when exploring a topic (Bornstein et al., 2013). A major benefit of convenience sampling is its capacity to generate fast data collection without complicated logistical facilities (Sedgwick, 2013). For example, a researcher who is conducting a survey on a university campus may choose to sample data from simple accessible on campus students as opposed to trying to catch a wider variety of sample demographic (Etikan & Bala, 2017).

Data Collection

In quantitative research, Bryman (2001) says that the data of choice is numerical and statistical data, for which the results can be expected not only for the study population but also for other populations. Besides, the methods used, such as controlled research, experiments, and surveys are commonplace tools that ensure impartiality and reproducibility, said the author.

For this study, a survey questionnaire is used to collect and gather information related to the research title.  The survey questionnaire consists of about 8 parts; the first part was about the demographic profile of the respondents.  The next part was about entrepreneurs, followed by entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial intention, and employability.  The researchers used online and in-person distribution of the survey questionnaire to collect the data required for this study.  According to Menon and Muraleedharan (2020), internet-based surveys have steadily gained popularity with researchers because of their myriad advantages such as the ability to reach a larger pool of potential participants within a shorter period.

Instrumentation

This study used the instrument developed by Gazi et al. (2024), to validate the relationship between variables.  Such as, entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, entrepreneurial intention, and employability.  The authors also argued that by giving students entrepreneurial skills, information, and mindsets, entrepreneurship education immediately improves employability.  All the developed instruments are functional and relatable to align with the context of this study.

Employability

According to Van Harten et al. (2021), a common definition of employability is a person’s potential in the domestic and/or global labor market. Three viewpoints on this potential have been presented as personal qualities that increase employment potential, as opportunities for employment that the individual recognizes, and as a career change on the way to realize employment potential.

5 items were used to measure the readiness of students to secure any employment opportunities. One of the examples of the item includes “I believe I can secure any job as long as my skills and experience are reasonably applicable”, scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). As for the reliability of scale reported, it was 0.965 (Gazi et al., 2024).

Entrepreneurship Education

Entrepreneurship education is an organized educational program that teaches students the necessary skills and attitudes for entrepreneurship (Karimi et al., 2014). Ramadani et al. (2022) noted that the primary goal is to improve students’ understanding of entrepreneurship, develop their entrepreneurial competencies, and foster an entrepreneurial culture and mindset at the personal, societal, and communal levels.

This specific study for entrepreneurship education has four dimensions, namely, entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills. In accordance with Gazi et al. (2024), all the instruments were selected to further understand how entrepreneurship education can affect student entrepreneurial capabilities.

Entrepreneurial university climate is defined as individuals’ views, values, and attitudes are shaped by their social and cultural environment, which influences their behavior (Gazi et al., 2024). The ‘Entrepreneurial University Climate’ refers to a university’s environment, culture, and circumstances that promote and support entrepreneurial efforts, innovation, and the development of a startup-oriented and entrepreneurial mindset among students, faculty, researchers, and staff. An example of the item includes “I meet many people at my university with great ideas for starting new businesses.” The reliability of the scale reported was 0.934 (Gazi et al., 2024). These items were measured on a five-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

Entrepreneurial curricula, defined by (Gazi et al., 2024), is related to student entrepreneurial goals to their perceptions of course material’s relevance and adequateness. With respect to the readiness of curricula in UiTM, participants were asked one question of 5 concerning activities: “The curriculum contains courses which are especially designed for entrepreneurship”. scale reliability reported was 0.953 (Gazi et al., 2024).

The item for example has an example of the item that is entrepreneurship education helps me to know insights of enterprises, and the scale is from 1 (very disagree) to 5 (very agree). Finally, in terms of scale reliability reported, it was 0.957 (Gazi et al., 2024).

Entrepreneurial skills (Gazi et al., 2024) abilities that are asked from students to transform ideas into tangible results in it is referred as. An example of the example item was “Entrepreneurship Education program improved my abilities to acquire practical management skills for starting a business,” on a scale of 1, strongly disagree to 5, strongly agree. The reliability of scale reported was 0.963 (Gazi et al., 2024).

Entrepreneurial Intention

The entrepreneurial intention on the other hand, was measured by 5 items that describe entrepreneurial intention (in terms of willingness of an individual to engage in a certain behavior) and it is defined as a direct influence of [on] behavior (Gazi et al., 2024). An example of the item includes “I am willing to do whatever it takes to become an entrepreneur,” scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The reliability of scale reported was 0.949 (Gazi et al., 2024).

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Research Question 1

What is the relationship between entrepreneurship education (namely entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills) and employability among Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus?

Table 4. 1: Correlations between Entrepreneurship Education and Employability

In line with previous studies by Waziri et al. (2024) in examining the relationship between entrepreneurship education and employability, there are correlation coefficients between the dependent variables and independent variables supporting the linearity assumption.

All components of entrepreneurship education (entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, and entrepreneurial skills, showed statistically significant positive relationships with employability.

The strongest correlations were observed for entrepreneurial knowledge (r = 0.660, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial skills (r = 0.681, p < 0.001), indicating that entrepreneurial skills and knowledge play a critical role in enhancing employability.

Research Question 2

What is the relationship between Entrepreneurial Intention and Employability among Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus?

Table 4. 2: Correlation between Entrepreneurial Intention and Employability

Waziri et al. (2024) also highlighted the correlation coefficients between the dependent variable and independent variables, supporting the linearity assumption. Suggesting a significant positive correlation between entrepreneurial intention and employability.

As shown from the table above, the correlation between entrepreneurial intention and employability is 0.682. The significance of it is p < 0.001. The interpretation that can be made from the table will be, there is a strong positive relationship between entrepreneurial intention and employability, and the relationship is statistically significant.

Research Question 3

What is the current level of Employability among Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus?

Table 4. 3: Descriptive Statistics for Employability

To examine the level of employability, based on Omar et al. (2023) study, the means and standard deviations for all aspects of employability skills. The results reported that the employability skills of the students were at a moderate level with (M = 3.79, SD = 0.34). The constructions that comprise employability skills show a moderate level.

The level of Employability among Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus, was analyzed using descriptive statistics. As shown in Table 4.4.3, the mean employability score was 4.03 (N = 163), indicating a high level of employability based on the Likert scale used in this study.

Research Question 4

What is the influence of Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention on Employability among Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus?

Table 4. 4: Model Summary^b

The following multiple regression analysis was carried out to estimate the relationships between the elements of Entrepreneurship Education (Entrepreneurial University Climate, Entrepreneurial Curricula, Entrepreneurial Knowledge, and Entrepreneurial Skills) and Entrepreneurial Intention on Employability. In fact, a high R-value of 0.791 resulted for this model, reflecting that the predictors bear a good positive relationship with employability.

A study done by Wei et al. (2023) stated that entrepreneurship education as the independent variable and employability as the dependent variable, the model equation is: employability = 1.233 + 0.704 entrepreneurship education, the regression coefficient value for entrepreneurship education is 0.704 (t=26.151, p =0.000<0.01), indicating that entrepreneurship education has a college students’ employability has a significant positive effect.

The value of R² = 0.626 explains that 62.6% of the variance in Employability is accounted for using predictors within this model. Having adjusted this for the number of predictors, the Adjusted R² was 0.614, which means the strength of the model sustains even in consideration with the added complexity by predictors. This standard error of estimate 1.53795 represents the average deviation of the observed Employability scores from the predicted ones.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Research Implications

Importantly, the implications of the findings in this study are critical, in both theoretical and real consequences. The research findings and the discussions presented in the earlier section are used to derive the implications from this section.

It endeavors to explain the meaning of entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention and employability, including how entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention can eventually affect employability. The implications of this research concerning the role of key elements in entrepreneurship education (such as entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial skills, and entrepreneurial intention) in increasing employability are discussed.

The study also closes a gap within the research by demonstrating how entrepreneurship education and inclinations affect employability for students. For developing economies it’s of particular importance as the challenge of improving employability is so huge. Finally, the study emphasizes the need to combine entrepreneurial university climate, entrepreneurial curricula, entrepreneurial knowledge, entrepreneurial skills and entrepreneurial intention into a single comprehensive model. This shows how these factors work together to enhance employability and offer practical ideas for helping students prepare for entrepreneurial roles. The findings contribute to the growing research on entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention and employability, offering insights for educators and policymakers.

Research Limitations

The limitation of the sample size of this study can be said to be restricted to only Business students at UiTM Pahang, Jengka Campus. The specific focus is only on these, hence making it unique, while this indeed gives detailed information on this group, it limits the findings’ generalization to other students from different courses. Nevertheless, the scope has been kept narrow because the study aims at this group of students.

The study adopts a cross-sectional design, meaning it captures the data at just one point in time. As such, one cannot appreciate how changes in the relationship of entrepreneurship education with both entrepreneurial intention and employability take place. In fact, this presents a limitation toward making causal inferences and researching the long-term effects of entrepreneurship education on both entrepreneurial intention and employability. Then again, because the study uses self-reporting questionnaires, the biases of data become a real concern. Such bias may come because a student will give what he or she deems fit, hence interfering with the generalization of the findings.

Lastly, measures used in establishing entrepreneurship education, entrepreneurial intention, and employability may not be validated well to the UiTM Jengka context, thus, reliability will be interfered with. Research design also fails to consider external factors that may influence entrepreneurial intention and employability of students, such as personal background or work experience. Further research may incorporate additional variables and apply a longitudinal design to understand better how these factors fluctuate over time.

Suggestion for Future Research

There are many ways that future research can build on this study to provide more insights. Next, researchers could determine whether the results apply to a broader group of students from different universities and programs. There could, for instance, also be a longer-term study looking into how entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention influence employability over time with students graduating and entering the workforce. Furthermore, studies on the relationship between culture, local job market, university resources to identify their role in enhancing the penetration of entrepreneurship education. For example, future research may study how entrepreneurship programs do in rural areas as opposed to urban situations or in different industries. For instance, you could use interviews or focus groups to learn more about what students thought and experienced, things that might be lost in surveys. Additionally, further research could be done on the effect of contemporary practices, including online courses, digital tools and virtual mentoring programs and on the enhancement of employability. And it’s good that these methods are growing in use, and they could play a big part in plugging in the youth to ever changing job markets. Finally, future studies can depict a clearer picture of how entrepreneurship education and intention assist students to prosper in the working world when they enhance the scope of investigation, introduce new types of research, and maintain the long term and contemporary approaches.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention are critical determinants of the nature of employability outcomes. Towards preparing students for turbulence in the contemporary workplace, an entrepreneurial mindset, skills, and intentions may be used. In particular, the growing economic context, and therefore the challenges of employability, are highlighted within an integrated and adapted approach to entrepreneurship education.

While the study has provided good sights, it is clearly necessary to extend the study further to fully understand how entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention ‘nurture’ employability. When these gaps are addressed, future studies can develop and refine educational programs and policies, so that graduates are ready to excel in their careers and as part of economic growth and technological innovation.

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