The Role of Social Support on Graduates' Readiness for the Workplace: An Empirical Study in Indonesia

The study explores the relationship of social support (family, friends, and significant others) to Indonesian students' soft skills and work readiness based on their gender. This research was conducted in Indonesia. The object of the research is 7,800,000 students in Indonesia. The sample used purposive sampling to obtain samples of women (n = 227) and men (n = 196). The research method uses quantitative methods. Data analysis used structural equation modeling with AMOS version 26 software. The study found that work readiness for university students is determined by social support, which will influence their soft skills and impact their work readiness; work readiness for male university students is determined by social support, particularly support from their friends, which will influence their soft skills and impact their work readiness; work readiness for female university students is determined by social support, particularly from their family, which will influence their soft skills and impact their work readiness. This research confirms the previously established goal, namely, to prove the influence of social support on work readiness through a mediation mechanism played by mastery of soft skills.