Barriers to Entrepreneurial Intention of Polytechnic College students: (Specific evidences from Assosa, Benishangul Gumuz region, Ethiopia)

Entrepreneurship is a vital force behind the development of each country`s economy. This study was examined the barriers to entrepreneurial intention in the case of Assosa polytechnic college students in Benishangul Gumuz Region. The target population of this study was the final year students of Assosa Polytechnic College. Simple random sampling method was used to select the sample. The data was collected from final year students through questionnaires. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive, independent t-test, correlation and multiple regression analysis. The result of this study indicates that the major barriers of entrepreneurial intention are: poor perception of access to finance and fear to failure. In addition, the finding of the descriptive analysis indicates that most of the students have an intention to follow entrepreneurship after graduation. Moreover, the independent t-test result shows that gender, entrepreneurship education and business family background were considered to be an important factor to entrepreneurial intention of students. Furthermore, the findings of the independent t-test revealed that students from business family background have higher entrepreneurial intention than non business family background. The correlation result indicates that business support service have positive and significant relationship with entrepreneurial intention of students. However, perceived fear to failure and perceived access to finance have negative and insignificant relationship with entrepreneurial intention of students. Furthermore, the regression result shows that the entrepreneurial factors (gender, family business background, business support service and entrepreneurship education) significantly explain 78.4% of the variations in entrepreneurial intention of students at Assoa polytechnic college. Based on the results of the study, the researcher forwards recommendations to Assosa polytechnic college management and suggestions for other researchers.