<![CDATA[Employee performance is a crucial determinant of success in the competitive hospitality industry. Vocational education institutions are therefore required to prepare students with technical expertise and employability competencies aligned with authentic workplace demands. This study aims to develop an industry-informed internship assessment instrument for evaluating vocational students’ employability-related competencies in the hospitality sector. A qualitative instrument-development design integrated a semi-systematic literature review, two rounds of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and preliminary expert review. The literature review synthesized 68 studies to establish the initial conceptual basis and candidate employability indicators. Industry consultation involved 20 human resource managers and training supervisors from 15 hotels in Jakarta, while five vocational education lecturers with internship supervision experience participated in the expert review. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify, refine, organize, and contextualize indicators according to hospitality workplace expectations. The final instrument comprises five domains: Communication Skills, Collaboration and Teamwork, Self and Character Development, Professional Ethics, and Creativity and Innovation, represented by 30 behavioral indicators assessed using a 10-point performance rating scale with behavioral descriptors. The development process resulted in substantive refinement, including replacing Problem Solving and Decision Making with Self and Character Development because vocational interns have limited authority to make independent workplace decisions. The study contributes an industry-informed and context-sensitive approach by translating broad employability concepts into observable workplace behaviors. The instrument provides a practical basis for internship supervision, formative feedback, curriculum alignment, and university–industry collaboration. Further psychometric validation is required to establish its reliability and construct validity.]]>
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