Vocational education for entrepreneurial career transformation in the construction sector

Abstract Aim This article examines how Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can support entrepreneurial career transformation among workers in the construction sector. Context TVET is commonly associated with employability and technical skill formation, but its role in enabling transitions from wage employment to construction entrepreneurship remains insufficiently theorized. This issue is especially relevant in infrastructure-oriented economies where construction is project-based and closely connected to subcontracting and small-enterprise opportunities. Method A structured thematic evidence review with translational synthesis was conducted. The core review covered literature published between 2000 and 2024 from Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, and Google Scholar, supplemented by citation tracking and policy and institutional documents. A targeted update covering January 2025 to June 2026 strengthened the theoretical and international context. The final evidence base comprised 52 publications and institutional sources. Findings Five interrelated clusters were identified: construction-sector opportunity structures, vocational skill formation, entrepreneurial capability development, institutional and policy scaffolding, and psychological and socio-cultural mediation. These clusters converge into three enabling drivers: vocationally enhanced individual agency, institutional and policy scaffolding, and entrepreneurial ecosystem support. Contribution The study reconceptualizes TVET as a multi-level career-transformative system and develops a framework explaining how occupational competence can be converted into entrepreneurial pathways. Implications The framework informs entrepreneurship-integrated curricula, work-based learning, incubation, certification, industry partnerships, and small-enterprise support in Indonesia and comparable Global South and international contexts.