Charting Courses: Exploring Occupational Inheritance and Career Decisions Among SMET Cadets

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between occupational inheritance, personal interest, and peer influence in the career choices of seafaring dependents at SJIT-SMET Campus. Utilizing a purposive sampling method, data were collected from 146 respondents, consisting of 37 from the BSMARE program and 109 from the BSMT program. Of these, 81 seafaring dependents were identified and surveyed using the Influencing Factor Scale. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation (r), and logistic ordinal regression. The findings indicate that personal interest (r = .615, p = 0.001) and relative influence (r = .316, p = 0.004) were significantly associated with higher levels of agreement in choosing seafaring as a career. Conversely, peer influence (r = .192, p = 0.85) and immediate family influence (r = .136, p = 0.225) exhibited weaker associations. Moreover, a positive association between relative influence (estimate = 0.5998, SE = 0.274, Z = 2.186, p = 0.029) and the likelihood of agreeing with a seafaring career was identified.