Vocational School Students' Innovations Deemed Capable of Driving Regional Economic Acceleration

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANYUMAS — Innovations produced by vocational secondary school (SMK) students are considered to have great potential in driving regional economic acceleration, particularly through the utilisation of technology for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (UMKM).

DPD RI member Abdul Kholik stated that the works of SMK students today not only demonstrate creativity but also possess high applicative value and are relevant to the needs of industry and society.

“What we see here is like being taken to the future, the digital era that can be applied in almost all sectors, and this is at the level of SMK students,” said Kholik after opening the Stematel Innovation Summit at SMK Telkom Purwokerto, Banyumas Regency, Central Java, on Thursday.

According to him, these innovations can be utilised to encourage UMKM actors to enter the digitalisation era, thereby enabling them to scale up their businesses while optimising performance.

He also encouraged local governments and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration with educational institutions, particularly SMKs, to maximise the utilisation of innovations produced by students.

“All parties must collaborate so that UMKM in Banyumas and southern Central Java can enter the digitalisation era,” he said.

Kholik assessed that the southern Central Java region still requires accelerated development, particularly in addressing economic backwardness and poverty. In his view, technology can be one of the keys to catching up on that backwardness.

“This shows that our society is actually ready to enter the technology era. This is extraordinary,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Principal of SMK Telkom Purwokerto, Krisma Dwi Brata, explained that the Stematel Innovation Summit is part of the final summative assessment for 12th-grade students.

He mentioned that students have been equipped with a technological foundation since 10th grade, then developed competencies through project-based learning in 11th grade, up to producing innovative works at the final stage of education.

“In 12th grade, this is the pinnacle, where the students’ works already meet industry standards,” said Krisma.

According to him, project-based learning is the main approach, where students not only learn theoretically but also engage directly in the field to interact with UMKM and industry.