Factors Affecting Employability Achievement of Vocational School Prospective Graduates in the Pandemic COVID-19 Era

Abstract

The global pandemic that has lasted 1.5 years has caused learning activities in vocational schools carried out from home, except for practical learning which can still be carried out in schools with a certain number of students. Those affect the intensity of student involvement in Practical Learning which, is the main characteristic of learning activities in vocational schools. This study aimed to examine the effects of students' involvement intensity toward Practical Learning on the competitiveness, adaptability, and job performance of prospective vocational school graduates in East Java. This study used descriptive analysis techniques, analysis of variance, and confirmatory factor analysis. This study revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic which, causes restrictions on learning activities, harmed the employability level of prospective graduates. The average employability of prospective graduates is at the upper-moderate level. The mediation of students' competitive readiness and adaptability in practical learning has a positive impact on the employability of prospective graduates. Teachers and parents need to strengthen their awareness of the importance of continuing education despite the pandemic. Students need to be motivated to learn to be more capable of becoming independent learners.