Analysis Of College Students’ Willingness To Return To And Start Businesses In Rural Areas Under The Background Of Rural Revitalization

The 19 th National Congress of the Communist Party of China introduced the rural revitalization strategy for the first time,which includes five key aspects: industrial prosperity,ecological livability,rural civilization,effective governance,and improved quality of life.One important component of this strategy is the group of college students who return to rural areas to start businesses.They are crucial for the development of rural areas and can effectively promote the transformation and upgrading of rural industries,as well as play a demonstrative role in enhancing farmers’ market awareness and innovation.Despite this,the number of college students returning home to start businesses is still relatively low.Statistics indicate that out of the 9.09 million fresh college graduates in 2021,less than 1.4% choose to return home and start businesses,with the majority opting for employment in urban high-tech industries and service sectors.The current employment environment for college students in China has worsened due to the epidemic situation and domestic and foreign economic conditions.However,with the successful implementation of the rural revitalization strategy,the production and living conditions in rural areas of China continue to improve,and economic opportunities continue to increase.Moreover,national policies supporting college students to return to their hometowns and start businesses are also on the rise.Rural areas should become a viable and attractive option for college students to start their businesses.Research indicates that the entrepreneurial willingness of college students is the basis and premise for the generation of entrepreneurial behavior.Thus,it is of great significance to analyze and study the factors that affect the willingness of college students to return to their hometowns and start businesses in the context of rural revitalization,and formulate corresponding solutions for attracting college students to return to their hometowns and contribute to the revitalization of talents.Through reviewing relevant literature from both domestic and international sources,this study focuses on recent graduates from selected colleges and universities in Sichuan Province.Using questionnaire surveys and descriptive statistical analyses,the study reveals that:1.The willingness of Sichuan Province college graduates to return to their hometowns for entrepreneurship needs improvement,with only 29.87% expressing such interest.College students show stronger interest in returning to their hometowns to start businesses than undergraduates.2.Eight factors,including educational level,field of study,student leadership experience,participation in entrepreneurship training courses,attachment to their hometowns,awareness of entrepreneurship policies,parental entrepreneurship experience,and family income level,significantly influence college students’ willingness to return to their hometowns for entrepreneurship.3.Among male college students,those majoring in history are most interested in returning to their hometowns for entrepreneurship.Female college students majoring in literature express the strongest interest in returning home for entrepreneurship.Junior college students,especially those studying science,show the highest willingness to return home for entrepreneurship,while undergraduate students in the field of Chinese law are most interested in entrepreneurship.Graduate students in arts disciplines show the strongest interest in returning to their hometowns for entrepreneurship.Finally,college students have limited understanding of entrepreneurship policies,while undergraduates have better knowledge of such policies."To improve the willingness of college students to return to their hometowns and start businesses,this paper proposes four recommendations: 1.Develop tailored entrepreneurship policy publicity based on the differences of different groups of college students;2.Improve entrepreneurship training courses according to the actual needs of college students from different backgrounds;3.Enhance the cultivation of entrepreneurial awareness through practical education and improve the entrepreneurial ability of college students;4.Reinforce the reporting of typical cases of rural entrepreneurship and strengthen the emotional attachment of college students to rural areas.