Lestari Moerdijat: Vocational Education Ecosystem Improvements Must Be Consistent and Comprehensive
The improvement of the vocational education ecosystem in Indonesia must be carried out consistently and comprehensively to realise the enhancement of graduate competence in the labour market. “The step of providing competency certification is a strategic move, but it must be accompanied by a thorough improvement of the vocational education ecosystem,” stated the Deputy Speaker of the MPR RI, Lestari Moerdijat, in a written statement on Tuesday.
In 2026, the Directorate of Vocational High Schools (SMK) under the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is providing a quota of assistance for certification programmes for a total of 250,000 SMK students across Indonesia. This assistance is divided into two main focuses: 150,000 students for Competency (skill) Certification and 100,000 students for Foreign Language Certification. This initiative is part of an effort to increase the competitiveness of vocational graduates.
Amidst the persistently high unemployment rate among SMK graduates, Lestari assesses that the programme is insufficient without strengthening the connection between education and industry. “The improvement of quality and the connectivity of vocational schools, such as SMKs, with the industrial sector must be consistently realised to suppress unemployment rates,” said Rerie, as she is affectionately known.
According to data from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) as of February 2026, the open unemployment rate for SMK graduates reached 7.74%, the highest compared to other educational levels. Although there was a decrease from 8.63% in August 2025, the contribution of SMK graduates to total national unemployment remains at 22.35%, ranking second after high school (SMA) graduates. The skills gap is cited as one of the primary causes.
Data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) 2023 shows that approximately 57.3% of workers in Indonesia experience a mismatch between education and employment. Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the DPR RI, argued that efforts to achieve a ‘link and match’ between vocational education programmes and the needs of the business world must continue to be enhanced. “Strong collaboration is required between stakeholders in the education sector and the business world so that vocational education graduates can be well-absorbed into the workforce,” the NasDem Party member emphasised.