Employees’ Perception On Vocational High School Graduates’ Employability Skills Needed In Today’s Oil and Gas Industry

Abstract

The open unemployment rate of the vocational high school (SMK) graduates is still the highest of all education levels which is at 8.63%. This is because the competence of vocational school graduates is not yet in line with industry needs. Therefore, this study aims to determine the industry competencies that are most needed in the oil and gas industry according to the perceptions of the employees. The study implements a quantitative descriptive method through the survey method on habit, attitudes, and other things encountered during the working time. There are 164 respondents from various divisions. The result of the study shows that the employability skills needed in today's oil and gas sector are the skill to prioritize occupational safety, the skill to work together in team, the skill to apply theory into practice, the high learning motivation skill, the problem analysis skill, the skill to be adaptive to change and dare to make quick decisions. The employability skill learning can be implemented in the schools or the workplaces through the internship program.