Students need exposure to working world<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The majority of vocational schools in Indonesia
\nand their students are ignorant of the working world, resulting
\nin poor matches of graduates and job requirements, Minister of
\nEducation and Culture Wardiman Djojonegoro says.<\/p>\n
\"The quality of vocational and technical schools is very
\nuneven throughout the whole system, with some quite poorly
\nprepared for their tasks,\" Wardiman said in a seminar discussing
\nthe link and match concept between the educational world and
\nindustry.<\/p>\n
\"Frequently, they have little idea of what status their
\nstudents will achieve after graduation,\" he said in his keynote
\naddress, held with the sponsorship of the Australian government.<\/p>\n
Australian Minister for Employment, Education and Training
\nSimon Crean also addressed the opening of the two-day seminar
\nwhich is being attended by around 200 local and foreign
\nparticipants.<\/p>\n
Indonesia is currently in the process of revamping many state-
\nowned vocational and technical high schools so that they can
\nsupply graduates that match the requirements of industry.<\/p>\n
Many students now enroll in vocational schools with little
\nidea of what kind of job they will seek after graduation,
\nWardiman said.<\/p>\n
A recent study sponsored by the Asian Development Bank which
\ntraced the status of over 8,000 vocational school graduates
\nshowed that 15 percent found employment in private companies,
\nnine percent were self-employed, 14 percent pursued higher
\neducation and 12 percent worked for the government. The rest, or
\nover 50 percent, went undetected.<\/p>\n
\"This indicates clearly that vocational schools have very
\nlimited linkage with the working world,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Vocational schools must identify what kind of graduates they
\nshould produce in order to meet the labor market's requirements,\"
\nhe said, citing that the link and match policy was aimed at
\naddressing this problem.<\/p>\n
In line with the link and match policy, the government is also
\nlaunching the dual system concept which would allow students of
\nvocational schools to take time off from their studies to work in
\nindustries and therefore gain some valuable working experience.<\/p>\n
The government has been active in enlisting private and state
\ncompanies to provide apprenticeship programs for students of
\nvocational schools.<\/p>\n
Crean related the Australian experience in implementing the
\nlink and match concept.<\/p>\n
He noted that Australia is reforming its educational system to
\nsupport its export-oriented economic policy.<\/p>\n
\"Central to our economic efficiency is a commitment to more
\nproductive capital investment for employment generating
\nindustries, and growth in the value of our exports,\" Crean said.
\n\"We are therefore expanding and accelerating reforms in our
\neducation and training system to respond to industry concerns
\nabout the relevance and standards of training,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The vocational education system in Australia was undergoing
\nwide reform to create a system which offered a variety of school
\ndegrees in line with the people's needs, he said.<\/p>\n
He told reporters later that Australia was ready to share its
\nexperience with Indonesia to develop the link and match education
\nsystem.<\/p>\n
The two countries have since long cooperated in the
\neducational field with Australia ready to provide financial and
\nstaff assistance to launch the link and match education program
\nand to train Indonesian staff in Australia, he said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/students-need-exposure-to-working-world-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}