'Multiple Education Program not fully implemented yet'

'Multiple Education Program not fully implemented yet'

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Education and Culture Wardiman
Djojonegoro said the Multiple Education Program, which provides
students with apprenticeship opportunities, was "a bottle that is
half full".

"It has not been optimally implemented yet," he said when
opening a two-day workshop held by the National Council for
Vocational Education yesterday to evaluate the program's
effectiveness.

Started in 1994, the program aims to link private industry and
secondary vocational schools, which equip students with the basic
skills and experience demanded by the Indonesian job market.

Under the program's current criteria the students receive on-
the-job training for three to six months while at the schools.

Of the 1.5 million students at 721 state-owned secondary
vocational schools, 8 percent, or 125,000 students, were placed
in 20,000 training centers last year, he said.

This year's target aims to place 200,000 students in 30,000
training centers, he said.

Wardiman lamented that many were companies reluctant to give
students opportunities to train because they saw the program as a
burden.

"The program reflects the government and public's
determination to develop the quality of human resources and we
would like participating companies to encourage other companies
to participate," he said.

Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce Aburizal Bakrie
said the government allowed companies that offered apprenticeship
opportunities to set their participation costs against tax as an
incentive to participate.

Aburizal, also chairman of the National Council for Vocational
Education, said the council would appeal to the government to
offer tax deductions to company staff assigned to train the
students.

The seminar was attended by 400 people, including vocational
school principals and representatives from participating
companies and related institutions. (01)