Salatiga – The Community Service Team from the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FIPP) of Semarang State University (UNNES) implemented a community service program titled “Improving the Work Readiness Ecosystem and Sustainable Vocational School Performance” at Saraswati Vocational High School, Salatiga. The activity took place in two sessions, on June 15, 2026, and July 8, 2026, at Saraswati Vocational High School, Jalan Hasanudin No. 738, Salatiga City.
The community service program was chaired by Pundani Eki Pratiwi, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, and included Laila Listiana Ulya, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, Adelina Rahmawati, M.Psi., Psychologist, and Febry Putra Rochim, S.T., M.Eng. from the Faculty of Engineering, and involving students from the Psychology Study Program at the Faculty of Education and Culture (FIPP) at UNNES, namely Amalia Defina Putri, Dewi Ayu Handayani K., and Ilham Abdurrauf.
This activity was motivated by the results of partner needs identification, which showed that career preparation programs for students were still limited to pre-graduation socialization, without supporting potential mapping or training for readiness to enter the workforce. Furthermore, teachers face a high workload, resulting in physical and mental fatigue and limited opportunity to develop innovation in the learning process.
In the first session, the community service team conducted a talent mapping psychological test and work readiness training for 370 11th grade students. The psychological test aimed to map students’ potential and talents as a basis for developing a more appropriate career path and also serve as a reference for Guidance and Counseling teachers in providing support services. Meanwhile, the work readiness training equipped students with practical skills, such as curriculum vitae (CV) writing, job interview techniques, and competency development needed by the industry.
The second session focused on improving teacher capacity, with 65 teachers from various expertise programs participating. The training focused on two main themes: “Conscious Pause,” which provides strategies for maintaining physical and mental health through self-awareness and relaxation techniques, and “Innovation through Artificial Intelligence (AI), which equips teachers with the use of AI technology to develop media, learning ideas, and innovations in the teaching and learning process.
The head of the community service team, Pundani Eki Pratiwi, S.Psi., M.Psi., Psychologist, explained that this community service program is designed to build a school ecosystem that is better prepared to face the challenges of the working world while simultaneously improving teacher well-being and competence. “We hope this program will not only improve students’ work readiness but also encourage teachers to be psychologically healthier, more creative, and more adaptable to developments in educational technology,” she said.
Through collaboration between universities and schools, this program is expected to create a more innovative learning culture, strengthen career guidance services, and improve the readiness of vocational high school graduates to enter the workforce or continue their education. Strengthening teacher competencies through the use of technology is also expected to improve the quality of learning, making it more relevant to the needs of the 21st century.
This community service activity is in line with Semarang State University’s commitment to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 4 (Quality Education) by improving the quality of education and educator competency, SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) by strengthening the work readiness of vocational school graduates, and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by maintaining the mental health and well-being of teachers as the frontline of education.
