The study focused on modelling the factors that influence Polytechnic students’ career choice of technical and vocational courses. A stratified sampling technique was used to select a total of 430 students. The researcher developed factor analytically derived questionnaire. Items one to three dealt with the bio data of the respondents. Items four and five sought after the parental occupation of the respondents. Item six examined how the respondent’s career choice was influenced by close relations on a five point Likert scale and the last item on the questionnaire examined the level of importance attached to various factors influencing the career choice of technical and vocational students in the polytechnics on a seven point Likert scale. Multivariate factor analysis method was used in the analysis. The results showed that there are three salient factors that influence career choice of technical and vocational students in the Polytechnics. These were Job security factor, Gender and close family relations factor as well as Financial and societal influence factor. This results confirmed earlier researches that sought to investigate the factors that influence students’ choice in Technical and Vocational courses. It is therefore recommended that entrepreneurship mindset and independent decision should be emphasized in career counselling programs for Technical and Vocational students in their course selection.
Keywords: Communalities, Decision, Influence, Salient factors., Technical and Vocational Education
