Vokatek : Jurnal Pengabdian Masyarakat

The Role of City Branding in Shaping Policy Strategies and Promoting Inclusivity in the Development of Human Resources for the Creative Economy

2026-05-14T08:31:47+00:00

This study examines the role of city branding as a governance-related instrument in regional development, focusing on its interaction with the creative economy and human capital in shaping inclusive outcomes. Using a qualitative literature review of ten peer-reviewed articles published between 2010 and 2025, the study applies thematic analysis to identify key patterns across the selected literature. The findings suggest that city branding may help align development priorities when supported by strong governance, institutional coordination, and stakeholder participation. The creative economy appears to provide a potential domain for operationalizing branding strategies, while human capital may influence the inclusivity and sustainability of outcomes. However, these relationships are conditional; where governance and policy integration are weak, city branding tends to remain symbolic and fragmented. Given the relatively small and selectively assembled sample of literature, these findings should be interpreted with caution and cannot be readily generalized. The study offers a conceptual synthesis rather than definitive conclusions and highlights the need for further empirical research to validate and refine these relationships.

A Inorganic Waste Management as a Medium for Environmental Education and Student Creativity Development

2026-05-15T12:33:23+00:00

The problem of inorganic waste in school environments requires an educational approach that not only emphasizes knowledge but also provides practical experiences that foster students’ creativity and environmental awareness. This community service program aimed to strengthen students’ understanding of inorganic waste management and provide direct experience in transforming used materials into useful creative products. The activity was conducted at SD Negeri 1 Suwawa Selatan, Bone Bolango Regency, involving 30 fourth- and fifth-grade students. The implementation method consisted of preparation, interactive socialization, demonstration, group-based recycling practice, and descriptive evaluation through participation observation, product assessment rubrics, field notes, and documentation. The results showed positive achievements in four main aspects: students’ active involvement in discussions and practice, their ability to identify organic and inorganic waste, their initial understanding of the 3R principles (reduce, reuse, recycle), and their ability to produce simple recycled products such as flower pots, pencil holders, and photo frames from used materials. The activity also promoted teamwork, responsibility in completing products, and awareness of maintaining school cleanliness. Therefore, inorganic waste management can be used as a concrete, low-cost, applicable, and easily replicable medium for environmental education to support character education and the development of elementary school students’ creativity.

Improving Journalistic Literacy Through Mading Training At State Middle School 24 Makassar

2026-05-13T15:15:46+00:00

This community service program aimed to improve students’ journalistic literacy through wall magazine training at SMP Negeri 24 Makassar. The program employed a participatory approach with a practice-based learning model (learning by doing). The participants consisted of 65 people, including 50 student council members, 5 teacher supervisors, and 10 student teachers from the teaching practice program. The activities were carried out through several stages: preparation, training, mentoring, and evaluation. The training materials covered the basics of journalism, techniques for writing simple news reports and articles, editing, and wall magazine design. The results showed an improvement in students’ understanding of journalistic concepts, their ability to write simple journalistic works, creativity in presenting information, and participation and teamwork in groups. Based on the evaluation, 85% of students were able to write simple news reports using the 5W+1H elements, 80% were able to write articles systematically, and the average score of the wall magazine products reached 84, which was categorized as good. Thus, wall magazine training proved to be effective as a contextual learning medium for improving students’ journalistic literacy and strengthening the literacy culture in the school environment

Digital Transformation in Counseling Services: Ethical, Relational, and Sociocultural Perspectives on Technology-Based Counseling

2026-05-15T14:06:29+00:00

This study examines the transformation of counseling services in the digital era by exploring the ethical, relational, professional, and sociocultural dimensions of technology-based counseling. Using an integrative literature review approach, the study critically analyzes contemporary literature related to digital counseling, online therapy, telecounseling, and technology-mediated psychological support services. The analysis employs thematic content analysis to identify major conceptual patterns concerning therapeutic relationships, ethical adaptation, counselor competencies, accessibility, and sociocultural challenges within digitally mediated counseling environments. The findings indicate that digital counseling should not be understood merely as the transfer of conventional counseling into virtual platforms, but as a multidimensional sociotechnical transformation that reconstructs counseling practice within contemporary digital society. Technology-based counseling expands accessibility, flexibility, and inclusivity of psychological services while simultaneously generating ethical challenges related to cybersecurity, privacy protection, professional boundaries, and digital inequality. The study further reveals that therapeutic effectiveness in online counseling depends significantly on counselors’ ability to establish psychological presence, emotional responsiveness, and relational authenticity despite technological limitations. In addition, the implementation of digital counseling in developing countries such as Indonesia remains strongly influenced by sociocultural context, institutional readiness, and unequal digital infrastructure. This study proposes the concept of digital counseling as a humanistic sociotechnical ecosystem integrating technological innovation, ethical responsibility, relational engagement, and cultural sensitivity within contemporary counseling practice.

Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Control (HIRAC) On Physical, Health, and Psychosocial Aspects in the Cafeteria of University X Campus

2026-05-30T09:13:07+00:00

Campus canteens function as essential social and nutritional spaces within universities but often face overlooked Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) challenges. This study applies the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Control (HIRAC) framework in accordance with ISO 45001:2018 to evaluate occupational and environmental risks in the President University campus canteen. Hazard identification was conducted through direct observation, staff interviews, and document review, followed by a semi-quantitative risk assessment using a likelihood–severity matrix. Nineteen routine activities were analyzed and categorized into physical, health, and psychosocial hazards. The assessment identified cooking processes and reckless food consumption as the highest-risk activities (risk value = 12), primarily due to thermal exposure, smoke accumulation, and potential food contamination. Additional medium-risk hazards included unsafe packaging, poor food storage, and limited emergency access, while psychosocial risks such as stress and overcrowding were rated low to moderate. Overall, health-related hazards contributed most significantly to the canteen’s risk profile. The findings indicate that the limited application of HIRAC in canteen operations creates vulnerabilities in everyday food service activities. Strengthening canteen EHS performance requires assigning clear safety accountability, conducting routine risk monitoring, and implementing practical controls such as improved ventilation, allergen labeling, and personal protective equipment. Based on the proposed control measures, the estimated average risk value could potentially decrease from 12 to 4.8, indicating the possible effectiveness of integrating HIRAC into institutional safety management and fostering a more proactive safety culture in educational environments.

Distribution and Antibiotic Resistance of Escherichia coli on Public Transport Routes in Makassar City: Implications for Resistance Surveillance

2026-06-01T08:17:45+00:00

The resistance of bacteria to antibiotics is a significant challenge in combating infections. Public transportation can be a hotspot for the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We surveyed the presence of Escherichia coli (E. coli) resistant to antibiotics on public transport cars, locally named Pete-Pete, serving four routes in Makassar, Indonesia. Swab samples were collected from door handles, walls, and seats, of 12 public transport vehicles (3 per route across 4 routes). Antibiotic resistance was evaluated using the Kirby-Bauer Disk Diffusion method and the EUCAST standard for resistance determination. We found widespread distribution of antibiotic-resistant E. coli at all locations, with variation in resistance patterns between locations. High resistance percentages were found in E. coli samples from two routes bordering other districts. Multi-resistant strains of E. coli to four types of antibiotics were found in samples from one route bordering the Gowa District. Our research indicates the potential for identifying distribution patterns and detecting levels of antibiotic resistance in pathogens through sampling public transportation.

Improving Students' Digital Literacy Through GPT Chat-Based AI Usage Training at State Vocational School 6 Bulukumba

2026-06-05T01:45:08+00:00

The development of digital technology requires students to have strong digital literacy skills to be able to use technology wisely, creatively, and productively. However, the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology, particularly Chat GPT-based applications, is still not optimal in vocational high schools. This community service activity aims to improve students' digital literacy through training in the use of Chat GPT-based AI at SMK Negeri 6 Bulukumba. The implementation method includes preparation, outreach, training, hands-on practice, and evaluation of participant understanding. The training materials covered an introduction to AI concepts, the use of Chat GPT in learning, prompt development techniques, and the ethical and responsible use of AI. The results of the activity indicate an increase in students' understanding and skills in using AI technology as a supporting medium for learning and information retrieval. Students became more active, creative, and able to utilize digital technology to complete academic assignments effectively. Furthermore, this activity also raised students' awareness of the importance of digital ethics in the use of AI. Therefore, training in the use of Chat GPT-based AI can be an effective strategy for improving students' digital literacy in vocational high schools.

Strengthening Digital Literacy to Prevent Online Gambling Exposure through Social Media among Adolescents in Terasa Village, Sinjai Regency

2026-06-07T04:21:48+00:00

The rapid expansion of online gambling in Indonesia has increasingly reached adolescents, largely through advertisements, links, and persuasive content circulating on social media. Adolescents in Terasa Village, Sinjai Regency, are particularly vulnerable because intensive social media use is not yet balanced by adequate digital literacy. This community service activity aimed to strengthen adolescents' digital literacy as a protective strategy to prevent exposure to online gambling through social media. The activity employed a participatory, practice-based training that combined interactive lectures, demonstrations, and simulations, and used a one-group pretest–posttest design to measure changes in participants' understanding. A nine-item instrument covering digital literacy concepts, recognition of online gambling content, its impacts, and reporting procedures was administered before and after the training. The results showed improvement across all items, with the average proportion of correct answers rising from about 60.7% in the pretest to about 89.3% in the posttest, an average increase of roughly 28.6 percentage points. The Normalized Gain value was about 0.73, which falls into the high category. The largest improvement occurred on items concerning how to block and report gambling content, which were initially the least understood. These findings confirm that practice-based digital literacy training is effective in closing knowledge gaps and equipping rural adolescents with protective skills against online gambling exposure.

Coping Strategy Psychoeducation to Enhance Work Adaptation Among Internship Participants at PT Laksana Bus Manufaktur

2026-06-07T16:21:57+00:00

Global changes and the implementation of Work From Home (WFH) policies require individuals to adapt effectively to evolving workplace dynamics. Internship and fieldwork students transitioning from academic to professional environments often face adaptation challenges. This community service program aimed to enhance participants' understanding of the psychological impacts of changing work systems and adaptive coping strategies through psychoeducation. A one-group pre-test–post-test design was employed involving 23 participants at PT Laksana Bus Manufaktur selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected through observation, supervisor feedback, and pre-test and post-test assessments. Results showed an increase in average scores from 7,74 to 9,35, a 20.8% improvement. However, the absence of a control group limits the extent to which this gain can be attributed solely to the intervention. These findings suggest a preliminary improvement in participants' understanding and may serve as a basis for future studies with more rigorous designs.