Author(s): Abdul Shukor Shamsudin, Ayotunde Adetola Adelaja, Mohd Sobri Minai
This conceptual paper discusses about the actualization of the entrepreneurial intention among graduates to become entrepreneurs upon graduation that are found, at many instances, to be at the lowest level. This conceptualization is built upon the notion of previous studies that propose a positive relationship between graduates who studied entrepreneurship in tertiary education institutions and entrepreneurial intention and the importance of industry experience. Entrepreneurship activities assist in the country employment concern and it also induces economic growth through employment creation and reduces unemployment rate. Based on the theory of planned behaviour, this paper explains on the development of the conceptual framework to investigate the missing link between the acquired knowledge gained from taught entrepreneurial education taught at tertiary institutions and the experience with interfacing with the industry in explaining the needed forces for the graduates to actually become entrepreneurs upon graduation. The conceptual framework should be able to drive study and investigation for making entrepreneurial intention becomes real. The mix between educationist and industry collaboration provides the missing link between graduates’ entrepreneurial intention and its actualization.