Factors Influencing Trainees Career Choice among Technical and Vocational Training Trainees: Implications for Psycho-Educational Intervention

Purpose: The major purpose of this study was to examine factors influencing trainees’ career choice among technical and vocational training trainees. Materials and Methods: This study was delimited to see factors influencing trainees’ career choice like family influence, peer influence, job opportunity influence and school influence on trainees’ career choice in the study area. This study was conducted in Kidus Lalibela and Kobo technical and vocational colleges. A total of 140 (78 male and 62 female) trainees was taken as samples of the study. The Stratified random sampling technique was applied to select these samples. The data gathering instruments used in the study were questionnaire. Cronbach alpha was employed to test the reliability of the instrument. The data were analyzed by using mean, variance; standard deviation and one sample t-test to describe the characteristics of the sample. Result: The findings of this study revealed that: there was a statistically significant mean difference between peer influence, school influence, job opportunity influence and the expected mean value, but there was no statistically significant mean difference between trainee’s family influence on career choice and expected mean value. Conclusion: Family, school, ministry of labor and social affairs and ministry of education should work jointly in providing accurate, timely, and relevant career related information for students at different levels.