Competence Recognition, Workplace Culture, and Selective Absorption in a Triple Helix Fast-Track Pathway: A Qualitative Case Study from Indonesia

Abstract

This study examines how the fast-track pathway in the two-year associate degree program (D2) linking a vocational high school, a polytechnic, and an industry partner operates as a cross-institutional arrangement for educational progression, competence recognition, workplace learning, and employment transition in Indonesia. A qualitative single-case study used semi-structured interviews, contextual non-participant observations, institutional and policy documents, and program artifacts, with data analyzed thematically. The findings reveal interconnected but institutionally distinct processes. Partnership governance operated through differentiated institutional roles, with the polytechnic acting as an intermediary between the vocational high school and the industry partner through recurring coordination and curriculum synchronization. The skill passport made prior competence visible across institutional boundaries, while Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) provided conditional, standards-based verification for academic progression. Extended industry immersion embedded workplace learning within the curriculum and supported professional socialization through authentic industrial participation. Selective absorption operated as an employer-side gatekeeping process during the transition to direct employment. Of 25 pathway participants documented in the program report, five were recruited by the industry partner, representing 20% direct absorption rather than the cohort's overall employment rate. Recruitment remained subject to selection requirements, workforce demand, and available positions. The case shows that competence recognition and workplace preparation can be institutionally coordinated while employment conversion remains governed by a distinct employer-side decision process. These findings highlight coordinated governance, credible competence recognition, sustained workplace learning, and transparent employment transition in vocational pathway design.