Reducing Unemployment Through an Effective Edu-Islandpreneur Program in Vocational Schools in Island Regions: an Analysis of Barriers and Strategies

The unemployment rate among vocational school (SMK) graduates in Indonesia’s island regions, particularly in Bangka Belitung, remains high due to limited formal employment opportunities and weak curriculum integration with local potential. This condition calls for alternative strategies through island-based entrepreneurship education (edu-islandpreneur) grounded in the blue and circular economy to equip students as young entrepreneurs capable of creating jobs. This study employed a qualitative approach with thematic analysis using semi-structured interviews with 32 respondents, consisting of students, alumni, teachers, parents, education offices, MSME offices, business incubators, and industry partners across seven vocational schools in Bangka Belitung’s Island regions. The findings reveal major barriers, including the dominance of theoretical learning, the lack of teachers as entrepreneurial role models, weak socio-cultural support, limited access to digital technology, poor collaboration with industry and government, and low public purchasing power for the students’ products. The proposed strategies include establishing school-based incubators, practice-oriented curricula, teacher upskilling and reskilling, multi-stakeholder collaboration, digital technology utilization, and youth entrepreneurship appreciation programs. These findings highlight the relevance of Employability Theory, Skill Frameworks, and the Ecosystem Approach in designing a contextual edu-islandpreneur model. In conclusion, transforming vocational school entrepreneurship education in island regions must take the form of edu-islandpreneur by integrating holistic and collaborative strategies capable of producing adaptive, innovative, and competitive young entrepreneurs, thereby contributing to reducing unemployment and supporting sustainable economic development.