Life skills-Based Pesantren Curriculum Development to Enhance Graduate Competitiveness

Abstract

Pesantren are enduring Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia, yet globalization, digital transformation, and changing labor-market expectations require graduates to combine religious competence with practical life skills. Recent studies show that curriculum integration, experiential learning, and soft skills help prepare learners for complex environments. This study aims to analyze how a life skills-based pesantren curriculum can be developed to strengthen graduate competitiveness while preserving the religious identity and distinctive values of pesantren. This research uses a qualitative library research approach with descriptive-analytical and conceptual analysis. Peer-reviewed journal articles from 2022 to 2026 were identified, selected, classified, compared, interpreted, and synthesized by themes, including life skills, digital competence, entrepreneurship, social skills, and employability. The findings show that a life skills-based pesantren curriculum is best developed by integrating religious education, academic learning, and structured practical experiences. Personal, social, academic, digital, vocational, entrepreneurial, and leadership competencies can be embedded in curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities. Comparison with previous studies indicates that this model is consistent with evidence on 21st-century skills and employability, while the pesantren context adds religious values, habituation, communal learning, and role modelling. The study concludes that life skills integration offers a relevant strategy for strengthening graduate competitiveness, although empirical evaluation remains necessary.