PENGARUH  SOFT SKILLS SISWA MELALUI MOTIVASI BELAJAR TERHADAP KESIAPAN KERJA SISWA PADA  PROGRAM STUDI MANAJEMEN PERKANTORAN DAN LAYANAN BISNIS SMK NEGERI 1 LAMONGAN

THE INFLUENCE OF STUDENTS' SOFT SKILLS THROUGH  LEARNING MOTIVATION ON THE JOB READINESS OF STUDENTS IN THE OFFICE MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS SERVICES STUDY PROGRAM AT SMK NEGERI 1 LAMONGAN

Tingginya tingkat pengangguran terbuka lulusan Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan (SMK), serta tuntutan dunia kerja yang  semakin kompetitif, menunjukkan bahwa lulusan SMK tidak hanya dituntut memiliki hard skills, tetapi juga soft skills yang didukung oleh motivasi belajar yang tinggi agar memiliki kesiapan kerja yang optimal. Selaras dengan fenomena tersebut, penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh soft skills terhadap kesiapan kerja siswa Program Studi Manajemen Perkantoran dan Layanan Bisnis (MPLB) SMK Negeri 1 Lamongan dengan mempertimbangkan motivasi belajar sebagai variabel intervening. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian eksplanatori. Sampel penelitian berjumlah 140 siswa yang dipilih menggunakan teknik probability sampling dengan metode proportionate stratified random sampling dari populasi 215 siswa. Data dikumpulkan melalui penyebaran kuesioner melalui Google Form dan dianalisis menggunakan Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) dengan  SmartPLS 4. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa soft skills berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kesiapan kerja dengan nilai t-statistic sebesar 5,666 >1,96 dan p-value sebesar 0,000 <0,05. Soft skills juga berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap motivasi belajar dengan nilai t-statistic sebesar 12,239 >1,96 dan p-value sebesar 0,000 <0,05. Selanjutnya, motivasi belajar berpengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kesiapan kerja dengan nilai t-statistic sebesar 7,233 >1,96 dan p-value sebesar 0,000 <0,05. Selain itu, motivasi belajar terbukti memediasi terhadap pengaruh soft skills terhadap kesiapan kerja dengan nilai t-statistic sebesar 6,786 >1,96 dan p-value sebesar 0,000 <0,05. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa soft skills berpengaruh positif terhadap kesiapan kerja melalui motivasi belajar sebagai mediasi.

The high open unemployment rate among graduates of Vocational High Schools (SMK), along with the increasingly competitive demands of the labor market, indicates that SMK graduates are required not only to possess hard skills but also soft skills supported by high learning motivation in order to achieve optimal job readiness. In line with this phenomenon, this study aims to analyze the effect of soft skills on the job readiness of students in the Office Management and Business Services Program (MPLB) at SMK Negeri 1 Lamongan, with learning motivation considered as an intervening variable. This study employed a quantitative approach with an explanatory research design. The sample consisted of 140 students selected through probability sampling using the proportionate stratified random sampling method from a population of 215 students Data were collected through questionnaires distributed via Google Forms and analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4 software. The results indicate that soft skills have a positive and significant effect on job readiness, with a t-statistic value of 5.666 > 1.96 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. Soft skills also have a positive and significant effect on learning motivation, with a t-statistic value of 12.239 > 1.96 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. Furthermore, learning motivation has a positive and significant effect on job readiness, with a t-statistic value of 7.233 > 1.96 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. In addition, learning motivation was found to significantly mediate the effect of soft skills on job readiness, with a t-statistic value of 6.786 > 1.96 and a p-value of 0.000 < 0.05. This study concludes that soft skills positively influence students’ job readiness through learning motivation as a mediating variable.