Cepi Safruddin Abdul Jabar, Kokom Komariah, Dandy Prasetyo Awaludin, Tira Fitria Astrid Dhica Sintya
Most Vocational High Schools (VHS) aim to facilitate students so that after graduation, they can immediately enter the workforce. One approach taken to realize this is to establish long-term partnerships between the school and the labor market in the long term. However, even though the school gets a potential industrial partner, it only lasts for a short time. The aim of this research are to understand the successful partnership approach in the excellence VHS, we observe the partnership approach carried out excellence VHS in Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative method with a data collection process using a semi-structured interview technique. The research process was carried out in 10 excellence VHS in Indonesia. The data analysis process uses a thematic analysis approach. The study shows that the excellence VHS carry out activities to sort and identify potential industries, develop internal communication and socialization of partnership programs, and take a proactive approach at the initial exploration stage of partnerships with the labor market. Furthermore, this study found the importance of forming a team or intermediary for school partnerships with industry specifically and synchronizing the school curriculum in implementing partnership activities. Interestingly, partnership activities in VHS are not the main determinant of whether a school is considered superior or not. However, if VHS succeed in building partnerships with the labor market in a strong and sustainable manner, it will catalyze the school to become a superior school and produce productive graduates. © 2025 Author(s).
Faculty of Education and Psychology, Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
