CHARACTER IN MODERATING HARD SKILLS TO IMPROVE STUDENT SKILLS: BUILDING MODELING AND INFORMATION DESIGN VOCATIONAL SCHOOL
The Industrial Era 4.0 requires vocational school graduates to have high competency to support their readiness to enter the world of work. This Research aims to examine the influence of hard skills on student competency and Character in moderating hard skills in increasing vocational student competency. This study uses a quantitative approach with a research instrument in the form of a questionnaire. The population in this study were all students of the State Vocational High School (SMK-N) in the field of expertise in Building Modeling and Information Design (DPIB) in Surabaya, Indonesia. The total population is 197 students, using the Slovin formula at an error rate of 5%, a minimum sample size of 132 respondents is obtained. The data in this study were analysed using SEM-PLS analysis techniques with the help of the SmartPLS version 3 program. The research results show: (1) Hard skills positively affect student competence. The higher the hard skills a student has, the higher the student's competence; (2) The student's Character or attitude has a positive effect on the student's competence, the better the student's Character or attitude during learning, the higher the student's competence; (3) The student's Character or attitude can mediate the influence of hard skills on student competence, the high level of hard skills possessed by students will improve the student's Character or attitude during learning which can then increase student competence.
Hard Skills, Character, Competence, Vocational School, Student Skill.