Industrial Class Partnership Management to Enhance Vocational Students’ Competence and Employability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37680/scaffolding.v8i1.9058Keywords:
Industrial Class Partnership Management, School–Industry Collaboration, Student Competence, Vocational Education, Work ReadinessAbstract
This study aims to examine the implementation of industrial class partnership management in enhancing students’ competence and employability at Muhammadiyah 3 Weleri Vocational School, Kendal Regency, Indonesia. The research focuses on the Motorcycle Engineering and Business program, which collaborates with PT Astra Honda Motor (AHM) through an industrial class scheme. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed to explore managerial practices based on planning, organizing, implementation, and evaluation functions. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with the principal, vice principal for curriculum, head of expertise competency, and productive teachers, supported by documentation analysis and triangulation techniques to ensure data validity. The findings reveal that the partnership is systematically planned through curriculum synchronization, teacher upskilling, structured industrial internships, and competency-based assessment aligned with industry standards. Organizational management is carried out collaboratively between school leadership and the technical department, with clear role distribution and direct coordination with industry representatives. Implementation of the partnership includes teaching factory activities, industry-standard facilities, continuous professional development for teachers, and active student participation in national skill competitions. Evaluation is conducted regularly through industry supervision, competency testing, and performance reporting systems. The results indicate that effective industrial class partnership management significantly improves students’ technical competence, work readiness, and employment absorption, while also strengthening the school’s institutional reputation. This study highlights the importance of sustainable school–industry collaboration as a strategic model for improving vocational education quality.
References
Arik Harianto, Buwani Buwani, Erta Faradina, & Tuwoso Tuwoso. (2025). Factors Affecting Work Readiness of Vocational School Graduates: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Studies in International Education, 2(2), 90–106. https://doi.org/10.62951/ijsie.v2i2.281
Arthur, R., & Maulana, A. (2025). Development and Validation of Vocational Literacy-Based Learning Model-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). In Journal of Education Science (JES) (Vol. 12, Number 1).
Bagus, A., Dyah, P., Syah, A. F., Siswanto, D. H., Rambe, M. Y., & Anggraeni, T. O. (2025). From Curriculum Sync to Job Placement: Managing Sustainable Partnerships in Vocational Education. 04(02).
Darmanto, D., Zahra, E., Dewi, P., Muliawan, A. A., Hakim, L., Kristanto, N., Wulandari, R., Setiawan, D., Alfian, M., Pradana, R., & Nengrum, Y. S. (2025). Promoting Employment Opportunities in South Korea at SMK Telekomunikasi Brawijaya Blitar. 4(04), 444–454. https://doi.org/10.62668/sabangkaabdimas.v4i04.1674
Dwi Iwijayanti, N., Jannah, R., Negeri, S., & Banyuwangi, T. (2019). Analisis Kualitas Pelayanan Pendidikan terhadap Kepuasan Siswa SMK Negeri 1 Tegalsari Dengan Metode Servqual Kriteria Gronroos. JPPKn, 4(1).
Edwiyan Pradana, D. H., Yoto, Y., Romadin, A., Permana, F., & Cendana, W. (2024). Improving The Quality of Vocational Education Through Work-Based Learning in the Era of the ASEAN Economic Community. Jurnal Inovasi Teknologi Dan Edukasi Teknik, 3(6), 263–269. https://doi.org/10.17977/um068v3i62023p263-269
Fatinah, F. N., Halwat Hikmat, M., & Ratih, K. (2025). Authentic Assessment in Vocational High School: Teachers’ Perspectives, Practice, and Challenges. JLE: Journal of Literate of English Education Study Program, 6(1), 2745–9357. https://doi.org/10.47435/jle.v6i1.3881
Fitriani, Y., & Jaelani, A. K. (2026). The Effectiveness of the Link and Match Program in Vocational Education through the CIPP Evaluation Model. Social Studies, Technology and Health, 1(1), 25–33. https://doi.org/10.33650/ic-esteh.v1i1.14324
Fitrianti, F., Haryaka, U., Dwiyono, Y., Azainil, A., Masruhim, A., & Sudarman, S. (2025). Collaboration between Vocational Education and Industry to Enhance the Internship Competence of Students at SMK Negeri 8 Samarinda. Borneo Educational Journal (Borju), 7(2), 669–685. https://doi.org/10.24903/bej.v7i2.2167
Hadi, A., & Rusman, A. (n.d.). Penelitian Kualitatif Studi Fenomenologi, Case Study, Grounded Theory, Etnografi, Biografi.
Hardani MSi, A., Ustiawaty, J., & Juliana Sukmana, D. (2020). Buku Metode Penelitian Kualitatif & Kuantitatif. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340021548
Hermanto, F. Y., Sutirman, S., Hidayati, B., & Sholikah, M. (2019). The Need for Practical Teaching in the Vocational High School of The Automation and Office Management Program. Jurnal Pendidikan Vokasi, 9(3), 238–248. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpv.v9i3.26734
Hutagalung, H., Purwana, D., Suhud, U., & Hamidah, H. (n.d.). Analisi Kualitatif Fenomenologi Interpretatif pada Kemandirian Masyarakat Desa Wisata di Yogyakarta, Indonesia (Qualitative Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Community Self-Reliance in Rural Tourism in Yogyakarta, Indonesia).
Ilhami, M. W., Vera Nurfajriani, W., Mahendra, A., Sirodj, R. A., & Afgani, W. (2024). Penerapan Metode Studi Kasus Dalam Penelitian Kualitatif. Jurnal Ilmiah Wahana Pendidikan, 10(9), 462–469. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11180129
Jamil, M., Taman Fajar, S., Aceh Timur, K., & Aceh, P. (2023). Gaya Kepemimpinan Kepala Sekolah Dalam Meningkatkan Kinerja Guru Pada SMKN Taman Fajar Aceh Timur. Jurnal Pendidikan Penggerak, 1(1), 7–11. https://doi.org/10.35870/jpp.v1i1.1336
Lenaini, I., & Artikel, R. (2021). Teknik Pengambilan Sampel Purposive dan Snowball Sampling Info Artikel Abstrak. 6(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.31764/historis.vXiY.4075
Luhur Adi Prasetya, Nabil Achmad Aufani, & Abdur Rahman Frima. (2025). Role of Environment and Information in Students’ Decision to Choose Vocational Education. Setyaki: Jurnal Studi Keagamaan Islam, 3(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.59966/setyaki.v3i1.1629
Lukitasari, F., Wrahatnolo, T., Suhartini, R., & Astuti, N. (2025). Responsive Vocational Education to the Needs of the World of Work: A Literature Review of Critical Factors. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknologi Kejuruan, 8(3), 169–181. https://doi.org/10.24036/jptk.v8i3.46323
Mariah, S., Sari, A. S., Kaharsyah, A., Saraswati, P., Sarjanawiyata Tamansiswa, U., Kesejahteraan, A., & Yogyakarta, S.-A. (n.d.). The Role of Industry Partnerships in Advancing Vocational Training Programs: Challenges and Opportunities. Retrieved https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Muharam, R. S., & Afrilia, U. A. (2024). The Role of Vocational Education Towards a Golden Indonesia 2045: Policies and Implementation? International Journal of Religion, 5(11), 5910–5914. https://doi.org/10.61707/km3tbb48
Muharam, R. S., Anita Afrilia, U., & Sudarma, S. (2025). Integrating Vocational Education and Industry through Public Policy: Towards Excellent and Competitive Human Capital. International Journal of Multidisciplinary Sciences and Arts, 4(2), 65–74. https://doi.org/10.47709/ijmdsa.v4i2.6097
Mutzie Revalina, C., Sobandi, A., & Utama, D. H. (2025). The Influence of Industrial Work Practice and Vocational Competence on Job Readiness (A Study on Students of Vocational School in SMK Bina Warga Bandung). 02.
Nurrisa, F., & Hermina, D. (2025). Pendekatan Kualitatif dalam Penelitian: Strategi, Tahapan, dan Analisis Data. 02, 793–800.
Pahrudin, A., Rinaldi, A., & Fradito, A. (n.d.). Developing a Curriculum Synchronisation Model to Increase the Effectiveness of Competency-Based Learning. https://doi.org/10.35723/jie.v11i1.693
Panjaitan, F., Sinta, R., & Batubara, J. (2024). Enhancing Vocational Education Through Collaborative Learning: A Pathway to Innovation and Industry Readiness. In Online) | (Vol. 02, Number 02).
Permatasari, K., Rokhmawati, I., & Yayuk, E. (2024). Journal of Vocational Career Education Comparative Analysis of The High School Double Track Program and Vocational Education: Implications for Graduates’ Work Readiness. JVCE, 9(1), 85–93. https://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/jvce
Pritadrajati, D. S. (2022). From School to Work: Does Vocational Education Improve Labour Market Outcomes? An Empirical Analysis of Indonesia. Buletin Ekonomi Moneter dan Perbankan/Monetary and Banking Economics Bulletin, 25(3), 471–492. https://doi.org/10.21098/bemp.v25i3.1315
Putranto, F. G. F., Natalia, C., & Pitriyani, N. K. D. (2024). Closing the Gap Between Education and Labor Market Requirement: Do Vocational Education Matter? The Journal of Indonesia Sustainable Development Planning, 5(3), 181–191. https://doi.org/10.46456/jisdep.v5i3.614
Rahayu, S., Meirawan, D., Ghinaya, Z., & Gandra, M. (2025). Assessing Workplace Readiness of Vocational School Students for Industry 5.0: A Skills Gap Analysis. Jurnal Pendidikan Teknik Sipil, 7(1), 28–36. https://doi.org/10.21831/jpts.v7i1.84543
Ramadhani, I. S., Isbah, M. F., & Azca, M. N. (2025). Intersectional Factors in Youth Transition: Stories of Vocational High Schools’ Graduates in Indonesia. Simulacra, 8(1), 63–78. https://doi.org/10.21107/sml.v8i1.28847
Ranu, M. E., Hadi, S., Kurniawan, R. Y., & Prakoso, A. F. (2025). Improving the Competitiveness of Vocational School Graduates in Indonesia as Human Capital through Local Wisdom-Based Learning-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). In Journal of Education Science (JES) (Vol. 12, Number 5).
Riyanto, S., Mudofir, M., & Rohmadi, Y. (2025). Analysis of the Alignment Between Vocational High School (SMK) Study Programs and the Competency Needs of the Workforce Based on Regional Requirements. Kontigensi : Jurnal Ilmiah Manajemen, 13(1), 507–533. https://doi.org/10.56457/jimk.v13i1.611
Rosina, H., Virgantina, V., Ayyash, Y., Dwiyanti, V., & Boonsong, S. (2021). Vocational Education Curriculum: Between Vocational Education and Industrial Needs. https://doi.org/10.17509/xxxx.vxix
Royyani, N., & Gozali, A. (2021). Adapting English Teaching to Industry Needs: An Instructional Perspective of Vocational High School Teachers. Print) Journal of English Language and Education, 10, 2025. https://doi.org/10.31004/jele.v10i6.1647
Sevara Khamdamovna, K. (2025). Enhancing Professional Readiness in Vocational Education Through an Integrative Approach Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). https://ejournal.bumipublikasinusantara.id/index.php/ajsed
Sitasari, N. W. (2022). Mengenal Analisa Konten dan Analisa Tematik dalam Penelitian Kualitatif Forum Ilmiah (Vol. 19).
Sosial, J., Teknologi, D., & Setiawan, R. B. (2025). High Quality Vocational Programs: A Solution for Alleviating Acute Poverty and Achieving 8% Economic Growth Amid Indonesia’s Demographic Bonus. Jurnal Sosial Dan Teknologi (SOSTECH), 5(4).
Tinno, P., Rompas, D., & Sumual, H. (2017). Innovation of Vocational Technology Education Model of Vocational Education Learning Format to Comply with Hopefulness in Companies and Industries. http://ejournal.upi.edu/index.php/invotec
Uswatun Kasanah, H., Novita Sari, M., & Purwanto, E. (2025). Curricula: Journal of Curriculum Development School-Industry Collaboration in Vocational Education: Partnership management at SMKN Windusari. Curricula: Journal of Curriculum Development, 4(2), 1229–1240. https://doi.org/10.17509/curricula.v4i3.88563
Wijayanti, A. R., Boeriswati, E., & Supriyana, A. (2025). The Implementation of Portfolio Assessment in Indonesian Language Learning at Vocational High Schools. 1. https://doi.org/10.21009/ishel.v1i1.57724
Yulianti, Y., & Raharja, S. (2025). Partnership Management in Industrial Work Practice of Hospitality Expertise Program at SMKN 3 Tanjungpandan and SMKN 1 Sijuk, Belitung Regency. In Indonesian Interdisciplinary Journal of Sharia Economics (IIJSE (Vol. 8, Number 3).
Zhou, N., Tigelaar, D. E. H., & Admiraal, W. (2022). Vocational Teachers’ Professional Learning: A Systematic Literature Review of the Past Decade. Teaching and Teacher Education, 119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2022.103856.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Wajiyo Wajiyo, Ghufron Abdullah, Aryo Andri Nugroho
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
