The Effectiveness of Career Development Programs and Social Factors on Students' Career Intentions in the Foodservice Industry at TVET Institutions

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of career development programs and explore socialfactors, specifically perceived career opportunities and family support, influencing students' careerintentions in Malaysia's foodservice industry within Technical and Vocational Education and Training(TVET) institutions. Employing a quantitative research approach, data were collected through purposivesampling from 116 semester 4 and 5 Diploma in Foodservice Management students at two Malaysianpolytechnics. Pearson correlation and moderation analyses were conducted to examine relationshipsamong variables. Findings revealed significant positive correlations between career development programeffectiveness (r = 0.748, p < 0.01), perceived career opportunities (r = 0.866, p < 0.01), and careerintention. However, family support did not significantly moderate the relationship between programeffectiveness and career intention (p = 0.831). These results emphasize the importance of structured careerprograms and the visibility of career opportunities to foster stronger career intentions among TVETstudents, although family support appears to influence career decisions indirectly. Implications foreducational policy and recommendations for future research are discussed.