Work Readiness of TVET Graduates in the Context of Industry 4.0

Abstract. The rapid development in the Industry 4.0 era requires TVET graduates to have high capabilities and competitiveness in an effort to find work and maintain jobs in the global industrial market. In this regard, each individual is expected to have Work Readiness which includes readiness in terms of knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences. The focus of the research in this paper is to analyze the factors that affect Work Readiness in the context of Industry 4.0 graduates of Technology and Vocational Education and to find out the efforts made to improve Work Readiness in the context of Industry 4.0 graduates of Technology and Vocational Education. Based on the study, the factors that affect the work readiness of TVET graduates are influenced by ability factors, academic factors, behavioral factors and self-potential, innate/inherited factors. The findings of the study also illustrate that the TVET Institute is not yet optimal in preparing its students for post-graduate work readiness. The challenges of graduate work readiness can be handled effectively by HR professionals in partnership with three main stakeholders, namely the government, employers and industry through a dual system training program in the form of continuous professional development of teachers, the application of innovative new learning strategies, internship programs or industrial work practices.