Khofifah Proud of 91.46% Absorption Rate for East Java SMK Graduates

The vocational education sector must be adaptive and responsive to changes in workforce needs. Surabaya (ANTARA) - East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa expressed pride in the 91.46% absorption rate of SMK graduates in East Java through the Work, Continue Education, and Entrepreneurship (BMW) programme, supported by strengthened certification and industrial practice. “Alhamdulillah, this achievement shows that the absorption of SMK graduates in East Java continues to increase. This is an indicator that strengthening the link and match between schools and the Business and Industrial World (DUDI) is becoming increasingly effective,” said East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa in Surabaya on Monday. Based on data from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), 195,429 out of a total of 221,174 SMK graduates in East Java have participated in the BMW programme. The breakdown is as follows: 55.83% are working, 20.79% are entrepreneurial, and 14.84% are continuing to higher levels of education. Meanwhile, the remaining 7.05% are undergoing training, courses, managing households, or preparing for further studies. Khofifah stated that the East Java Provincial Government continues to strengthen the alignment of curricula and competencies with industry needs to face technological developments and industrial automation. “Industry competency needs are developing very quickly. Therefore, the vocational education sector must be adaptive and responsive to changes in workforce needs,” she said. According to her, the industrial sector now prioritises recruitment based on skills, so training and competency certification need to be increased for SMK students. “The progressive industrial sector is currently shifting to skill-based recruitment or actual abilities, not just diplomas. Increasing training and certification will help East Java SMK students enter DUDI amid quite tight competition,” she said. Head of the East Java Education Office, Aries Agung Paewai, said that strengthening is also carried out through the Regional Public Service Agency (BLUD), competency certification tests, free certification from Competency Certification Institutions (LSK) based on the Indonesian National Qualifications Framework (KKNI), Special Job Fair (BKK), and school cooperation with the business and industrial world. “These programmes are efforts to increase graduate absorption according to industry needs, both domestically and internationally,” said Aries.