Career Exploration Among Technical and Vocational Education Students: Insights by Gender and Location
Sheng Haixia, Mohd Hazwan Mohd Puad, Riyan Hidayat

Abstract
Career exploration is crucial for facilitating the transition from education to employment, particularly among students in minban (private) higher technical and vocational colleges in China. This study investigates the effects of gender and location on career exploration behaviors among final-year engineering students. A total of 340 students from three minban (private) higher technical and vocational colleges in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, were selected through cluster random sampling. Data were gathered via an online survey using the Career Exploration Scale (CES) on the WJX platform. Statistical analysis revealed that gender significantly predicted career exploration, with female students demonstrating higher engagement than their male counterparts. Conversely, location showed no significant effect, and no interaction between gender and location was found. The findings offer valuable insights for educators and policymakers in designing targeted strategies to promote career exploration and improve graduate employability in China's vocational education sector.

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