Entrepreneurial Competencies and Entrepreneurship Cultivation Among College Students: A Case Study of Internship Institutions in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Industries

This study investigated whether the top 10 electrical engineering and computer science companies cultivate entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurial knowledge of engineering students during their internship programs. Focus group interviews were conducted with representatives of the top 10 enterprises and 6 academics. The research results indicate that managers of off-campus internship institutions believe that their internship programs cultivate entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial knowledge; however, the attention given to the cultivation of risk evaluation competencies may be lacking. Therefore, we recommend that the electrical engineering and computer science departments in colleges and universities list internships as mandatory courses and offer courses on entrepreneurialism. Off-campus internships are beneficial for the future careers of students, and instructors should encourage their students to participate in off-campus internship and to have a positive attitude toward internships.