From Classroom to Quarterdeck: Vocational Identity Formation and Industry Apprenticeship Experiences Among Maritime Vocational High School Students in Jakarta

Abstract

Maritime vocational high schools serve as the earliest institutional gateway into Indonesia's seafaring workforce, yet how adolescent students construct a professional maritime identity during industry apprenticeship (Praktik Kerja Industri, Prakerin) remains underexamined relative to research on tertiary-level cadets. This study investigates how maritime vocational high school students in Jakarta experience the transition from classroom instruction to shipboard or port-based apprenticeship placement, and how this transition shapes their vocational identity, career commitment, and readiness for further officer-track education. A qualitative design was employed, drawing on semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with 24 students who had completed Prakerin placements, supplemented by 6 vocational teachers and 5 industry supervisors. Thematic analysis identified four dominant findings: provisional vocational identity construction during placement, a persistent gap between classroom simulation and workplace demands, mentorship quality as the strongest determinant of identity consolidation, and family and socioeconomic background shaping career persistence independently of placement quality. Findings extend career construction theory into Indonesian maritime vocational education and carry direct implications for apprenticeship curriculum design, industry partnership structures, and early-stage career guidance.