Minister Wardiman defends link-and-match concept

Minister Wardiman defends link-and-match concept

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro has defended the "Link and Match" concept which
several experts have criticized for failing to link education to
the industrial sector's needs.

On Saturday he told a seminar on teaching in Surabaya the
facts presented a different picture.

The fact that many vocational school graduates could not find
jobs did not prove the concept was a failure, he said.

The labor market simply cannot absorb all technical school
graduates, now numbering between 1 and 1.5 million, he said.

The concept, launched in 1993, sought to gear the education
system toward producing school graduates who were more ready to
meet the industrial sector's needs.

It is applied mainly to technical schools by incorporating
industrial training into the curriculum.

Wardiman said the government had enlisted 20,000 companies
which took on students for training. The number of companies is
expected to rise to 30,000 next year.

The government is working to improve the incentive package
offered to companies which join the scheme, he said.

The benefits of combining school and work have been immense,
students learn not only theories but get work skills, he said.

Students also acquire a work ethic, he said. (emb)