Enhancing Vocational Students’ Understanding of Energy Sector Developments through Industry-Based Training on Oil and Gas

Abstract

This study reports a community service activity aimed at enhancing vocational students’ understanding of current developments in the energy sector, particularly in oil and gas, geothermal energy, and energy transition. The activity was conducted at SMK Migas Cibinong and involved 20 students from Grades 11 and 12 of the Oil and Gas Program. The training was implemented through an industry-based learning approach that combined material presentations, industrial case examples, contextual explanations, and interactive discussions. The training materials covered recent developments in the oil and gas industry, geothermal energy utilization, and the role of both sectors in supporting energy transition. Evaluation was conducted through participant observation and a post-training questionnaire assessing material relevance, perceived knowledge improvement, and training usefulness. The results showed positive participant responses, with mean scores of 4.8 for material relevance, 4.6 for perceived knowledge improvement, and 4.9 for training usefulness. Students also demonstrated active participation and increased interest in current energy-sector issues, particularly when industrial case examples were introduced. These findings indicate that industry-based learning activities have the potential to broaden students’ perspectives, strengthen the connection between theoretical knowledge and industrial practice, and support vocational education in responding to evolving workforce demands.