Vocational schools seek support
Vocational schools seek support
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Walking through an entrance way marked with the sign Hostel
Pradana, one finds a cafe, a travel agency, 29 hotel rooms and a
tennis court. The monochromatic green compound on the busy
street in Ragunan, South Jakarta, looks more like a resort than a
school.
"We have to provide these facilities to train our students,"
the school's vice principal Sumarochayah told The Jakarta Post.
Thanks to the facilities, vocational school SMK 57, helps 75
percent of its graduates find jobs in hotels, airlines and travel
agents annually.
The school, which sends up to 20 third-year students for
training in hotels in Dubai and Saudi Arabia every year, needs,
however, to build closer ties with related industries at home.
Currently, the school has an agreement with at least 40 three-
to five-star hotels and more than 10 airlines and travel agents.
"We rely on the 'inside connections' of members of the school
committee to find hotel partners," Sumarochayah said, adding that
such an approach had not been beneficial as the relation only
lasted so long as committee members were active.
Vocational schools, aiming to supply a ready-to-go workforce,
have a mutual relationship with related industries. The schools
provide the education while the industries support them with
training facilities.
However, some schools have complained about industries'
reluctance to help enhance the quality of vocational education.
"In Germany, even the smallest scale industry is required to
recruit at least 20 percent of their employees from vocational
schools," Sumarochayah said.
Such a regulation has taken effect in Indonesia, but is not
adequately enforced due to lack of supervision.
Jakarta Vocational Education Agency head Suharyanto said 50
percent of partnering industries were aware of their importance
in improving the quality of vocational education.
Industries should be involved in the school from the
beginning, from approving the curriculum according to their
requirements, providing equipment for training and testing the
competency of trained students, Suharyanto said.
Another problem preventing vocational schools from moving
forward is the public image that the schools are just a second
choice, although in fact their graduates may compete with
university graduates.
"Around 98 percent of our graduates work in industries, while
other (graduates) have a hard time finding jobs," said Kisroi,
the principal of SMK 26, which provides training for jobs in the
manufacturing sector.
Kisroi said the school -- the students of which recently won a
gold medal in a national vocational competition -- had long
cooperated with related industries, helping its graduates find
jobs with decent salaries.
Central Statistics Agency data shows the range of remuneration
earned by vocational school graduates ranges from Rp 600,000
(US$63.15) to over Rp 1.5 million per month. The majority of
university graduates receive a starting salary of Rp 1.5 million
a month.
"Some of our students who attend a three-year training program
in Japan receive up to 60,000 Yen ($550) per month," Kisroi said,
adding that the school had sent at least 100 students to the
country so far.
Despite the career opportunities on offer, many people remain
reluctant to attend vocational schools. Most students who chose
vocational schools are not academic or lack the financial
resources to choose as they please.
"Eighty percent of our students come from the middle to
lower income bracket," Sumarochayah said.
In countries like Germany and Australia, vocational schools
have sprung up everywhere, offering industries a well-trained
workforce.
There has been an increase in the number of vocational school
students in Indonesia, but education experts do not consider all
students leave with a quality education.
"We hope that the government as well as industries pay more
attention to vocational education," sub-agency head Suharyanto
said. "That way we will see SMKs become more than Sekolah Mencari
Kerja (schools to find jobs)." (003)