PORTALJABAR, PURWAKARTA DISTRICT - A total of 504 vocational high school students from all over West Java participated in the 2026 West Java Secondary Education (Dikmen) Student Competency Competition (LKS). The activity was opened directly by the Head of the West Java Education Office (Kadisdik), Purwanto at SMKN 1 Purwakarta, Wednesday (10/6/2026).

The Head of the Education Office stated that the Student Worksheet (LKS) serves as a platform to demonstrate the competencies students have honed at their respective schools. He also emphasized the importance of contextual education relevant to development needs. "Optimize students' competencies for school development," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Vocational High School Development Division (PSMK) of the West Java Education Office, Edy Purwanto, emphasized that LKS is a form of commitment to developing the competence, creativity, and character of vocational school students.

"More than that, LKS is a selection arena to find the best sons and daughters of West Java who will bring glory to our province at the national level," he said.

The 2026 West Java-level Secondary Education LKS (Learning and Vocational Education) took place over two days, June 10–11, 2026, and was held offline (face-to-face). The event was spread across six schools, with a total of 25 competition categories.

The competition fields held at each sponsoring school include:

SMKN 1 Purwakarta (6 Fields): Mechatronics, Industrial Control Systems, Information Network Cabling Engineering, Graphic Design Technology, Cyber Security Technology, and Digital Construction Technology.

SMKN 2 Purwakarta (6 Fields): Cloud Computing, Web Design Engineering, CAD Machining Design Engineering, Fashion Technology, Software Information Technology for Business, and Network System Administration.

SMKN 1 Karawang (7 Fields): Electronics, Autonomous Mobile Robots, Three-Dimensional Game Art, Electrical Installation Engineering, Welding Engineering, Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Engineering, and Car Automotive Technology.

SMKN 2 Karawang (4 Fields): Hotel Receptionist, Restaurant Service, Digital Marketing, and Culinary Arts.

Meanwhile, SMK Wirasaba Karawang became the location for the pharmacy competition and SMK Sehati Karawang hosted the Health and Social Nursing competition.

Involving More Than 1,100 Participants and Mentors

The 2026 West Java LKS Dikmen (Mental Education) competition involved a total of 1,135 participants and supporting staff. This number comprised 504 top vocational high school students from across West Java, 445 supervising teachers, 75 judges from the business and industrial sectors, academics, and practitioners, and 111 committee members from both the parent school and provincial levels.

In terms of implementation locations, Purwakarta Regency accommodated 592 people, while Karawang Regency was the location for 540 people.

LKS Mandiri Adds Competition Space

In addition to the main competition, the West Java Education Office also held the Independent LKS on June 2–9, 2026, both offline and online, with 13 additional competition fields.

These fields include Bricklaying, Wall and Floor Tiling, Autobody Repair, Metrology, Heavy Vehicle Technology, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Landscape and Gardening, Fishery, Nautics, Hair Dressing, Beauty Therapy, Cabinet Making, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an exhibition category.

"At today's opening ceremony, awards and appreciation were also symbolically presented to the winners of the Mandiri LKS as a token of appreciation for their dedication," he said.

Prepare West Java Representatives for National Level

This provincial-level LKS serves as a selection process for the National-Level LKS, scheduled to take place in Jakarta in August 2026. West Java will send representatives to 38 competition fields, consisting of 19 offline competition fields and 19 online competition fields.

Edy hopes this activity will further strengthen the culture of achievement and improve the quality of vocational education in West Java. "We hope the selected students will not only be champions on stage, but also become competent, professional vocational school graduates, adaptable to technological developments, and able to compete at the national and global levels," he concluded. (Apun)