Influence of Internship Exposure on Entrepreneurial Engagement between Food and Beverage Diploma Graduates from Tertiary Institutions

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is recognized as a beacon of business start-ups. It drives individuals to realize their synergy, visualize and strategize / focus towards entrepreneurial path. It is a vibrant process aimed at creating economic returns through innovations. This study sought to determine the influence of internship exposure on entrepreneurial engagement between food and beverage diploma graduates from tertiary institutions. The study was informed by Human Capital Theory. An explanatory research design was adopted. Apart from graduates, lecturers from tertiary institutions that offer food and beverage courses also formed part of the respondents. Specifically, 14 institutions from Nairobi County were targeted for the study, which included two public universities, four private universities, three government technical institutions and five private training colleges. Fishers formula was used to derive the sample size from the population. Using purposive sampling technique and self-administered questionnaires, qualitative and quantitative data was collected. Descriptive and inferential procedures were used in data analysis. For quantitative data, Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software was used, while for qualitative data, thematic analysis was used. From the inferential analysis, the findings indicated that internship exposure do not have significant effects on entrepreneurial engagements. The study concluded that internship exposure nurtures the graduates towards starting their own entrepreneurial engagement. Internship enables the graduate to build confidence, it is an eye opener for viable ventures and it’s a network through interaction with diverse personalities. The study recommends that it should be essential that industry representatives work closely with hospitality programs and educators to ensure that students are developing realistic advancement expectations and positive perceptions of their future in the hospitality industry. Keywords: Internship Exposure, Entrepreneurial Engagement, Tertiary Institutions