The Impact of Merdeka Belajar - Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) Curriculum on Higher Education Graduates’ Employability in Indonesia: Perspectives from Lecturers

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the viewpoints of lecturers from Indonesian universities about the implementation of the Merdeka Belajar – Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) to increase the employability of graduates in higher education. The participants were three lecturers from different types of universities in Indonesia. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using thematic analysis in accordance with employability framework by Holmes (2013). The findings are presented in three major themes (graduate employability as possession, position, and process). The findings revealed that, firstly, the impact of the MBKM curriculum is to help develop students' employability skills, especially in terms of their attributes, such as communication and problem-solving skills, which refer to graduate employability as possession. Secondly, getting access to job opportunities and providing interclass movement were the impacts of the MBKM curriculum as graduate employability as a position. Thirdly, all university lecturers voiced that the MBKM curriculum offers opportunities for students to design and manage their portfolios according to their passions or career goals. The students had high self-awareness; they predominantly did career self-management, which is associated with graduate employability as a process. The findings serve as a resource for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers interested in interventions to improve the implementation of the MBKM curriculum, especially to achieve students' employability.