Unshakeable: East Java Wins National Student Competency Competition for Fourth Consecutive Year
East Java has once again asserted its dominance as the leading province for vocational education in Indonesia. For the fourth consecutive year, the East Java contingent successfully achieved the Overall Champion title at the 2026 National Student Competency Competition (LKS) for Secondary Education, establishing the province as a national barometer for vocational excellence.
In recognition of this achievement, the Governor of East Java, Khofifah Indar Parawansa, warmly welcomed the returning contingent at the Grahadi State Building in Surabaya on Saturday night. The reception served as an expression of appreciation for the hard work of the students, supervising teachers, mentors, school principals, and the accompanying team who brought honour to East Java at the national level.
During the 202ng LKS National competition, the East Java contingent brought home 30 medals, consisting of 18 gold, seven silver, and five bronze medals. This haul placed East Java at the top of the rankings, surpassing the host, DKI Jakarta, which finished second, and Central Java in third.
“We calculated that there were 36 gold medals in this year’s LKS. Of those 36 gold medals, 50 per cent were won by our children. This extraordinary achievement is undoubtedly the result of the guidance provided by mentors, supervisors, and the victory team,” she stated.
Khofifah noted that this achievement is tangible proof that East Java’s younger generation possesses exceptional competence, creativity, and competitiveness. She described the LKS National competition as a prestigious event that brings together the best vocational high school (SMK) students from across Indonesia, serving as a benchmark for vocational education quality and a platform to showcase innovation and skills aligned with the needs of the business, industrial, and labour worlds.
Furthermore, Governor Khofifah explained that SMK graduates are showing very positive developments in labour absorption within the business and industrial sectors (DUDIKA) year on year. Notably, the unemployment rate for SMK graduates is steadily decreasing.
“The decrease in SMK graduate unemployment is very significant. This indicates that the strengthening of the ‘link and match’ between vocational education and the needs of DUDIKA is becoming increasingly effective,” said Governor Khofifah.
Data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) shows that the unemployment rate for SMK graduates fell to 5.73 per cent in February 2026, down from 5.87 per cent in February 2025. With this achievement, SMK graduates are no longer the highest contributing group to unemployment in East Java.
“This is because the curriculum, internship programmes, and partnerships with industry are tightly integrated. Consequently, the rate of acceptance and absorption into the workforce is quite high,” she explained.
Despite maintaining the overall championship title, Khofifah reminded all educators not to become complacent. She urged school principals, supervising teachers, and coaches to continue improving the quality of training so that East Java’s achievements can be sustained and even enhanced.
“The East Java Provincial Government remains fully committed to providing an ecosystem capable of producing graduates who are competent, innovative, and ready to compete at both national and international levels,” she asserted.