Entrepreneurial training effectiveness, government entrepreneurial supports and venturing of TVET students into IT related entrepreneurship – An indirect-path effects analysis

Over the periods of 2015–2018 there have been declining trends for Nigeria in Global Entrepreneurship Index (GEI) signifying a major challenge to its entrepreneurship development. To understand some of the explanatory variables for this phenomenon Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was deployed and extended to examine indirect effects of entrepreneurial training effectiveness and government entrepreneurial supports on the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) students venturing intention into IT related entrepreneurship through attitude and perceived behavioral control for gaining insights to address the aforesaid challenge. Quantitative approach was employed through data collected from sampled TVET students which was analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The result supports all the hypothesized indirect-path effects. It implied that naturally built attitude and behavioral control alone cannot influence TVET students venturing intention; it needs enhancement through effective entrepreneurial training and government entrepreneurial supports. The research opens new research paradigm for studying the antecedents of the original determinants of intention through indirect path analyses. Applying these findings can reduce the reliance on public sector for employment. It could equally create jobs that could reduce societal crisis through employment into privately owned businesses.