IMIP Bridges Industry Needs Through 'Practitioners Teach' Programme

PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) is helping to bridge the needs of the industrial world in terms of labour absorption in Central Sulawesi Province through the implementation of a practitioner teaching programme. Head of the IMIP Learning Centre, Trisno Wasito, stated that the programme aims to support industrial needs, particularly in producing skilled workers who are ready to be absorbed by the industry. The programme, which has been running since 2025, partners directly with universities in Central Sulawesi by bringing in professional workers from the industrial area as guest lecturers in the classroom. ‘This agenda is designed to bridge the gap between the theory taught on campus and real-world practice in the industry,’ he said. In the long term, this practitioner teaching programme is expected to bridge the needs of an industry that requires competent human resources. If universities can produce graduates who understand the needs of the industry from the outset, companies will no longer need to teach basic competencies when new employees start work. In practice, after a campus conveys its material requirements, IMIP searches for suitable practitioners and then coordinates with the company and the employee’s direct supervisor to ensure teaching availability. For campuses located far from Morowali Regency, such as in Makassar or Palu, the practitioner teaching programme is conducted online. Meanwhile, nearby institutions like the Morowali Metal Industry Polytechnic conduct learning face-to-face. As of mid-2026, 35 employees from various IMIP tenants, including PT QMB New Energy Materials, PT Huayue Nickel Cobalt (HYNC), and PT Dexin Steel Indonesia (DSI), are registered as teaching practitioners. They come from various fields, ranging from hydrometallurgy, pyrometallurgy, and laboratories to waste management and mechanical and electrical installation. Through this method, campuses can obtain relevant practitioners according to their material needs, such as electric vehicle battery recycling or coke production. One teaching practitioner, Yohanes Yoseph Deo, said that work experience in the industry is the main asset in the classroom because students need more than just theory. ‘Work experience in the industry helps connect theory with practice in the field. From that experience, we can provide real case examples,’ he said.