Vocational students aim high in international event

Vocational students aim high in international event

Innocentius Christianto, Contributor/Helsinki

It was Veni, Vidi, Vici (I come, I see, I conquer) for Julius
Caesar, but it was Veni Vidi Didici (I come, I see, I learn), for
Indonesian students at the 38th International WorldSkills
Competition in Helsinki recently.

During the event, dubbed the Skill Olympiad, young people
under 23 years of age from all over the world demonstrated their
vocational skills.

This year's competition in the Finnish capital featured 39
vocations in the fields of engineering, industry and services.
Around 700 youths from 39 countries participated in the biennial
event, including five Indonesians.

Making its debut, Indonesia did not expect to win medals, nor
to finish among the top 10.

"We are not here with a target of winning medals but to
introduce ourselves as a member of the WorldSkills Organization,"
said Susilowati of the Directorate of Technical and Vocational
Education at the Ministry of National Education.

The Indonesian team comprised Hafid Setyo and Syahadatan Surya
who competed in mechatronics, Erwan Rusdiana who participated in
plumbing, Andi Supardi in bricklaying and Sikae in joinery.

European countries dominated the competition, while the Asian
challenge was spearheaded by Japan, South Korea and China.

Indonesia's best performance was in joinery, finishing 15th.

Surya and Hafid said they were happy to measure their
competence in mechatronics, a combination of various disciplines
including computer science, control engineering, electrical
engineering, ergonomics and mechanical engineering.

"I know we did not set a certain target, but, still, I am
disappointed because I failed to win a medal," Surya said.

Hafid said that in terms of vocational skills, Indonesia could
match other countries.

"We just need better preparation to make ourselves familiar
with the variety of new tools and equipment which are hard to
find in Indonesia," he said.

Hafid and Surya are in their second semester at the Vocational
Education Development Center in a public training and teaching
institute in Malang, East Java.

Andi, of Makassar, South Sulawesi, who is in his second
semester of civil engineering at the Technical Education and
Development Center (TEDC) in Bandung, West Java, blamed his lack
of discipline for his failure to win.

"What I learned here from the other participants was
discipline," said Andi, who also represented Indonesia in the
ASEAN Skills Competition (ASC) in Hanoi last year.

Participants in the joinery category and people who watched
the competition were amazed upon learning that Sikae was the only
contender who used a manual saw.

"But I made mistake when sketching the design. I should have
been more relaxed," he said. Sikae of Sampit, Central Kalimantan
won a bronze in the ASC last year.

Susi said Indonesia would fight for a place among the top 10
in the next competition in Shizuoka, Japan, and the big three in
the 2009 competition in Calgary, Canada.

"We will also send more participants in other categories. We
will scout for talented youngsters from various competitions at
home," she said.

The education ministry has organized a national skill
competition for vocational school students for the last 12 years.
The upcoming annual event will be held on Bali island next week.

Each member of the WorldSkills Organization pays an annual fee
which varies according to its population. Indonesia, which joined
the organization last year, is charged 20,000 euro.

Indonesian Ambassador to Finland Iris Indra Murti said the
national team did not return home empty-handed.

"The event will raise domestic awareness that vocational study
is always good and fits the available vacancies," he said.

With around 800,000 students from 5,070 public and private
vocational schools graduating per year, some 50 percent have jobs
waiting for them in related industries, government data revealed.

Data released by the Central Statistics Agency in 2003 showed
the number of vocational school graduates working as professional
workers (667,852) outnumbered those of regular high school
graduates (342,387).