21,800 students join apprentice program

21,800 students join apprentice program

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor for People's Welfare RS Museno launched yesterday the latest round of a holiday apprenticeship program for students.

Museno said the program was aimed at helping students spend their holidays engaged in positive activities.

"This is our way of providing positive activities for students during their holidays. They will learn how to work in various companies or institutions," Museno said, in a ceremony which was attended by about 2,000 students.

The great number of participants attested to the fact that they were very enthusiastic about the program, he said.

Museno urged businessmen to support the program by allowing the students to work in and learn from their companies.

This year students from elementary school to high-school are taking part in the program, which has been running since 1989.

Head of the Jakarta office of the Education and Culture Ministry, Kusnan Ismukanto, said the program would help improve the students' ability to work in the "working world", as well as expanding their knowledge and skills.

For this semester's holiday, from Feb. 20 to 25, 25,108 students applied for enrollment in the program but, unfortunately, the program can only provide places to about 21,830 students. However, Kusnan guaranteed that the remaining 3,278 students would be given priority in the next program, which will be held during the next school holiday, in July.

Kusnan said the number of participants this time was greater than in October last year, when about 12,980 students had participated.

"This time there are 53 private companies taking part in the program, as well as state-owned companies and government institutions, Kusnan said. (yns)