Surabaya – Technical expertise alone is no longer sufficient to prepare aviation vocational students for today's competitive job market. A study conducted by Linda Winiasri, Ekohariadi, and Ratna Suhartini from Universitas Negeri Surabaya, published in 2026, found that career competence and career adaptability play a significant role in strengthening career engagement among aviation vocational cadets. The findings reveal that cadets who understand career development and are better prepared to adapt to workplace changes are more proactive in planning, exploring, and managing their future careers while still pursuing their education.
The rapidly changing global labor market has transformed the transition from education to employment into a far more complex process. Employers increasingly expect graduates to possess not only technical knowledge but also adaptability, resilience, career planning skills, and the ability to build professional networks. These challenges are particularly relevant in aviation, where technological innovation, safety regulations, certification requirements, and industry competition continue to evolve. For non-Polbit cadets, who are not always guaranteed employment after graduation, actively preparing for future careers has become an essential part of their educational journey.
To examine the factors influencing career engagement, the researchers employed a quantitative explanatory research design involving 310 active non-Polbit Diploma III cadets from Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya and Akademi Penerbang Indonesia Banyuwangi, selected from a population of 361 cadets. Data were collected using a six-point Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed through Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the relationships between career competence, career adaptability, and career engagement.
The descriptive analysis showed that all three variables were categorized as high. Career competence recorded an average score of 4.78, career adaptability 4.77, and career engagement 4.73. These findings indicate that most aviation vocational cadets already possess relatively strong career-related capabilities and actively participate in career development activities. Nevertheless, the variation among respondents suggests that career development programs should continue to be strengthened to ensure more consistent readiness across all cadets.
The statistical analysis demonstrated that career competence had a positive and significant effect on career engagement, with a path coefficient of 0.340, a t-value of 6.636, and a p-value below 0.001. Meanwhile, career adaptability showed an even stronger positive influence, with a coefficient of 0.376, a t-value of 7.730, and a p-value below 0.001. Together, both variables explained 37.2% of the variation in career engagement. These results indicate that cadets who possess stronger career knowledge, planning skills, and adaptability are significantly more likely to engage in activities that prepare them for successful professional careers.
According to Linda Winiasri and her colleagues, career competence enables cadets to better understand their strengths, recognize industry expectations, build professional relationships, and develop practical strategies for entering the aviation workforce. These competencies encourage cadets to participate actively in career seminars, search for recruitment opportunities, pursue additional certifications, communicate with alumni, and expand their professional networks. In other words, career competence goes beyond theoretical understanding by motivating concrete career development actions.
The research also highlights career adaptability as the strongest predictor of career engagement. Cadets who demonstrate future orientation, self-control, curiosity about career opportunities, and confidence in dealing with uncertainty are more likely to participate actively in career development activities. Their psychological readiness allows them to respond more effectively to technological advancements, evolving aviation regulations, certification requirements, and the competitive nature of the aviation industry. The findings suggest that psychological preparedness is just as important as technical competence in building long-term career success.
The authors emphasize that aviation vocational higher education institutions should broaden their career development strategies beyond technical training alone. Educational programs are encouraged to strengthen career adaptability, career planning, professional networking, career counseling, and continuous mentoring. Career planning workshops, interview simulations, certification guidance, industry visits, and alumni mentoring programs are recommended as practical initiatives to help cadets prepare more effectively for employment. By integrating these elements into vocational education, institutions can produce graduates who are not only technically competent but also proactive, resilient, and ready to navigate the increasingly dynamic aviation labor market.
Author Profile
Linda Winiasri, Ekohariadi, and Ratna Suhartini — Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia.
Research Source
Article Title: The Effect of Career Competence and Career Adaptability on Career Engagement Among Cadets in Aviation Vocational Higher Education
Journal: East Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Research (EAJMR), Vol. 5, No. 7, 2026.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/eajmr.v5i7.224
Journal Link: https://journaleajmr.my.id/index.php/eajmr
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