Factors Affecting Students’ Intention to Study at Higher Learning Institution of Technical and Vocational Education and Training

Malaysia Higher Education Sector Blueprint 2015-2025 among others was launched in April 2015 to increase the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) enrolment from 250,000 to 650,000 by 2025. It is, therefore, important to understand the factors that influence students to consider TVET for their higher education. Extensive research has been conducted in this area involving public and private universities. However, past research has overlooked the TVET sector. This study was carried out at Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL), one of the technical universities in Malaysia, in two stages. Stage one involved conducting focus group interviews; while the second stage included developing the questionnaire and sending it out to 131 first year undergraduate students using purposive sampling. The study essays to explore- (i) the factors that influence students’ decision to study at UniKL; (ii) if the influencing factors were affected by parents’ household income; (iii) whether students’ residential locations have an impact on the factors; and (iv) the fundamental sources of information to students to evaluate tertiary education. It was found that the most significant factors that affected students’ decisions were- the value of education, a degree’s content and structure, physical aspects, facilitiesand resources, and information. Moreover, it was seen that students coming from different income-classes incurred various amounts of education and information cost, but the residential location, apparently, did not play any role in the decision of whether to study at UniKL. Finally, the study also showed that the university website, counsellor and parents acted as the major sources of information provider for the students. Administrators of TVET Higher Learning Institutions are urged to focus on developing a prestigious reputation. Even though, higher TVET institutions already have specialized programs but more work is required to raise the promotion and the publicity of TVET programs to the public. Aus. J. Bus. Sco S. & IT. Vol 2(1), January 2016, P 19-33