COLLABORATION AND INNOVATION IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION: STRATEGIES TO STRENGTHEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SPIRIT FOR VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN EAST JAVA

The open unemployment rate (TPT) in East Java is still dominated by graduates of Vocational High Schools (SMK), which shows a gap between the skills taught in schools and the needs of the workforce. This study aims to analyze the influence of entrepreneurial and culinary aspects on the readiness of vocational high school students to become entrepreneurs. Using a quantitative approach, data were collected from six vocational high schools in East Java that have Culinary, Agribusiness, and Marketing majors, with a closed questionnaire-based survey method using a Likert scale. The results of the study showed that entrepreneurial aspects, such as creativity, innovation, and courage to take risks, had a positive and significant effect on students' readiness to become entrepreneurs. Likewise, culinary aspects that include production skills, business management, and marketing strategies also increase students' readiness to build independent businesses. The implementation of "Practical Training to Become an Entrepreneur" has proven effective in improving students' entrepreneurial skills and mindsets, with students from the Agribusiness and Marketing majors showing a higher tendency to become entrepreneurs compared to the Culinary major. These results emphasize the importance of strengthening practice-based entrepreneurship curricula and collaboration between schools, industry, and government in creating an ecosystem that supports young entrepreneurs.