Practitioner: Local Governments Need to Align School Majors with Industry Needs
Tangerang (ANTARA) - An education practitioner from USG Education Campus BSD Tangerang, Ariyani Mawardi, believes that local governments need to discuss aligning school majors with industry requirements to curb unemployment rates and accelerate the absorption of young workers.
Ariyani stated that current industry needs are shifting towards technology-based fields, particularly computers, artificial intelligence (AI), and automotive.
However, she emphasised that each region has different industry characteristics, so major adjustments cannot be uniform.
“Each region has varying industry needs. Therefore, majors in schools and universities must also adapt to the respective regional requirements,” said Ariyani in Tangerang on Tuesday.
She also encouraged schools and universities to increase internship programmes with real project concepts, so that students and university students gain real work experience before graduating. Such experience is considered an added value when entering the workforce.
“If schools and industries have strong cooperation, graduates will be more work-ready and easily absorbed,” she said.
Previously, the Banten Provincial Government planned to evaluate majors in vocational high schools (SMK) deemed to have low job absorption and contributing to unemployment in Banten.
Head of the Education and Culture Office (Dindikbud) of Banten Province, Jamaluddin, said that several majors in SMK currently under review include secretarial, administrative, accounting, and Computer and Network Engineering.
He stressed the importance of the link and match concept between vocational education and the business world to ensure SMK graduates do not contribute to unemployment.
In addition to planning to reduce or eliminate several majors considered unproductive, they will be replaced with expertise programmes more needed by industry, such as specific engineering fields, manufacturing, and welding.
“We will also encourage the expansion of partnerships between SMK and industries to create graduates who are work-ready and have competencies according to company needs,” he said.