<![CDATA[Vocational high school (SMK) graduates remain the largest contributors to unemployment in Indonesia, with the open unemployment rate reaching 7.74% nationally and 8.81% in East Kalimantan in February 2026. This condition indicates that the challenge is not only related to graduate quality but also to the limited collaboration among stakeholders connecting vocational education and the labor market. This study aims to analyze the contribution of five pentahelix actors academia, business, community, government, and media in improving graduates’ work readiness and employment absorption, as well as reflecting on vocational education policy. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach was applied involving 150 respondents from six vocational stakeholder groups in East Kalimantan, followed by interviews with ten key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and multiple regression, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. The results show that pentahelix collaboration is at a moderate level, with media involvement and employment absorption as the weakest aspects. The five actors explain 63.2% of employment outcomes, with business/industry as the strongest determinant. The findings highlight that vocational collaboration requires outcome-based governance focused on employment absorption rather than merely the implementation of activities.]]>
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