'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)