Examining cognitive and social factors of TVET enrolment intention among asnaf youth: evidence from Institut Kemahiran Baitulmal (IKB), MAIWP

This study is developed based on an Applied Business Project (ABP) aimed at addressing a real-world organisational issue related to low enrolment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) among Asnaf young adults at Institut Kemahiran Baitulmal (IKB), Malaysia. Despite substantial government investment and fully subsidised programmes, participation remains below institutional capacity, highlighting a critical gap between policy intention and actual uptake. Unlike purely theoretical research, this study focuses on solving a practical problem through the application of strategic tools and an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework. The study examines the influence of TVET knowledge, self-efficacy, attitude, societal influence, and perceived family influence on students’ intention to enrol in TVET programmes using a quantitative approach involving 204 respondents. The findings reveal that the model explains a substantial proportion of variance in enrolment intention (R² = 0.517), with attitude emerging as the strongest predictor, followed by self-efficacy and TVET knowledge, while societal influence and perceived family influence were found to be statistically insignificant. These results indicate that internal cognitive and psychological factors play a more dominant role than external social pressures in shaping vocational enrolment decisions among marginalised youth. The study contributes to both theory and practice by extending the applicability of the TPB framework within a socio-economically disadvantaged context, while demonstrating how conceptual models can be operationalised to address real organisational challenges. From a practical perspective, the study proposes targeted interventions focusing on enhancing awareness, strengthening self-efficacy, and reshaping attitudes towards TVET, offering valuable insights for policymakers, TVET institutions, and zakat agencies in designing more effective outreach strategies to improve participation and optimise resource utilisation.