Education sector as foundational capital for enhancing the quality of young creative economy players

Project Manager of Djarum Foundation, Galuh Paskamagma, stated that the education sector serves as the foundational capital for enhancing the quality of young creative economy players, starting with vocational school teachers who need competencies aligned with industry requirements.

“What should actually be done and implemented is the improvement of human resource quality; here, in the education sector, we are talking about teachers and school principals,” said Galuh during a discussion at the IP Expo 2026 event in Jakarta on Thursday.

Galuh explained that improving the quality of teachers in schools with vocational curricula is crucial because it can produce competent students ready to work in the real industry.

Additionally, school principals, as leaders in educational institutions, also need business acumen so that students in vocational schools can easily access relevant industries matching the implemented curriculum.

“School principals must have business sharpness regarding the majors in their schools. For example, in the animation industry, the principal must thoroughly understand how the animation business operates. The goal is for them to create students with such competencies,” she said.

She stated that it is important for the government to provide industry internship programmes for vocational school teaching staff so that their competencies are adequate to produce the new generation in the industry, including the creative economy sector.

Galuh mentioned that one exemplary school is SMK Raden Umar Said (RUS) in Kudus, Central Java, which applies a curriculum that includes not only theory but also in-depth practice in the industrial sector, particularly the creative economy.

In practice, students from SMK RUS have produced various IP products that are nationally recognised, such as the children’s animation “WakaKibo”, “Amstring Your Heart”, and “Pasoa and the Brave One”.