This study aimed to develop and examine the validity and effectiveness of a Project-based Teaching Factory (PbTF) model within the context of the chemical cleaning industry to enhance students' soft skills and entrepreneurial intention. The model was designed by integrating project-based learning and teaching factory practices and was developed through three main stages: planning, conceptual validation, and empirical testing. Validation involved six experts assessing content and construct validity, with results indicating a very high level of validity across all evaluated aspects. Empirical testing employed a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 24 students, using structured soft skills observation and the Entrepreneurial Intention Questionnaire (EIQ), both of which had undergone validity and reliability testing. Descriptive and inferential analyses revealed significant improvements across all aspects of soft skills and entrepreneurial intention following the model's implementation. An effect size of η2 > 0.80 in all aspects indicated a very strong impact of the intervention. These findings suggest that the PbTF model in the chemical cleaning industry is an effective and innovative pedagogical approach in academic education, with high potential for adoption in other higher education contexts to equip students with 21st-century competencies aligned with industry and business demands. © 2025 The Authors.
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