EMPOWERING VOCATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDENTS THROUGH GEN-AI IN THE SOCIETY 5.0 ERA: A BLENDED LEARNING COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM IN MADIUN

Abstract

The rapid development of digital technology and artificial intelligence has created new demands for vocational higher education institutions to prepare graduates who are adaptive, innovative, and competitive in the Society 5.0 era. This community service program aimed to empower vocational university students in Madiun through the integration of Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen-AI) to improve learning effectiveness, digital literacy, and employability-oriented soft skills. The program involved 100 students divided into 4 training classes and facilitated by 6 instructors from national and international professional backgrounds. The implementation lasted for 6 weeks and consisted of four stages: preparation through needs analysis, synchronous learning through two offline workshop sessions at Politeknik Perkeretaapian Indonesia Madiun, asynchronous learning through a flipped learning model, and final evaluation. Various digital platforms were utilized, including ChatGPT, Canva, Google Forms, Kahoot!, Wayground, Pear Deck, and Socrative. The findings revealed high participation rates, improved academic productivity, stronger communication confidence, better collaboration skills, and increased awareness of ethical AI use. The combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning proved effective in creating an engaging and sustainable learning ecosystem. This program demonstrates that Gen-AI can become a strategic tool for empowering vocational students and preparing future graduates to compete in the railway industry and broader global workforce.