Fashion Entrepreneurship and On-The-Job Training for Bachelor Students of Fashion Design Education in the Merdeka Belajar Era

Abstract

On-the-job training is now an independent learning form for students. This study aimed to design "Merdeka Belajar" implementation for students, especially in the fashion field, in absorbing activities in the work world, both in the fashion entrepreneurship field and for the wider business. Data were analyzed by correspondence analysis on 115 students studied. The relationship between Merdeka Belajar/on-the-job training and fashion entrepreneurship implementation covers four fashion business types: fashion designer, modiste, fashion consultant, and creative fashion product. The study results found several general things, namely: (1) planning prioritizes mechanisms and materials and this choice is more in the modiste business; (2) on-the-job training implementation in the regular guidance form by industry mentors is important for fashion designers, modiste and creative products, while there is no need for routine guidance for fashion consultants; (3) supervision implementation in visitation form for modiste, long-distance communication with the industry for fashion consultants or designers, and long-distance communication with mentors for creative product businesses; (4) an assessment that emphasizes activeness or participation for fashion designers and creative products business type, while material mastery on modiste, while the fashion consultant is more suitable for assessment based on activity/participation. This study offered recommendations to institutions to develop Merdeka Belajar and a curriculum following the fashion business type by including fashion entrepreneurship as a place for students to do on-the-job training for fashion design study programs according to the education needs in Indonesia.