Strengthening Career Literacy through Parental Mentoring and Interest-Based Vocational Program Mapping for Junior High School Students

Abstract

Choosing a vocational specialization is an important educational decision that can shape students’ future competencies and career trajectories. For junior secondary school (SMP) students preparing to enter vocational high school (SMK), the choice of specialization needs to consider the alignment between their interests, aptitudes, academic capabilities, and the characteristics of the selected vocational field. However, parents may face limitations in career literacy, which can hinder their ability to provide appropriate and evidence-based guidance. This community service program was designed to strengthen the career literacy of parents and junior secondary students in Kelurahan Jatinegara Kaum, East Jakarta, by broadening their understanding of vocational program characteristics and supporting the identification of appropriate matches between students’ interests and aptitudes and the vocational programs offered by SMKs. The program employed a participatory career guidance model implemented through seven sequential stages: needs assessment, baseline assessment, career literacy workshops, RIASEC-based interest assessment, interest-to-vocational-program mapping, parent-student decision-making support, and program evaluation. Data were obtained from pre-test and post-test instruments, interest inventories, observations, and reflection sheets, and were subsequently analyzed using descriptive analysis and paired-sample statistical testing. The findings demonstrated a substantial improvement in parents’ knowledge and career-related insights, as indicated by an increase in the mean score from 2.13 at the pre-test stage to 3.48 at the post-test stage, representing a 63.4% improvement. The mapping process further revealed that 75% of students’ interest profiles showed a strong alignment with their selected vocational programs. In addition, the role of parents evolved from primarily determining their children’s educational choices toward functioning as partners in their children’s career development and mentoring. Overall, the program demonstrated potential as an effective and replicable model for supporting families during the transition from SMP to SMK, with its long-term impact strengthened through sustained parent-child communication and continued collaboration between families and schools.