West Java Government 'Marries' 13 Maung Schools with Dozens of Businesses

Bandung (ANTARA) - The West Java Provincial Government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to integrate 13 Maung (Outstanding Human) Schools with dozens of businesses in order to produce job-ready graduates and break the chain of unemployment among vocational school graduates in the region.

This strategic step of ‘marrying’ vocational education with industry is being rolled out as a concrete solution to tackle employment challenges and prepare future leaders ahead of the peak of the demographic dividend.

Herman stressed that if the demographic dividend is not managed seriously through link-and-match schemes, West Java risks becoming trapped in a middle-income trap. Therefore, close collaboration with the business world is essential.

Head of the West Java Education Office Purwanto explained that the partnership involves 13 Maung vocational high schools (SMK) with 99 areas of specialisation and 26 corporate representatives. Among them are PT Solu Filantropi Teknologi, PT Usaha Adi Sanggoro, Hotel Novotel Bogor and PT Sepa Coklat Indonesia.

Purwanto assessed that the potential to strengthen students’ competencies in West Java is abundant, given that the region has thousands of corporations ready to serve as real-world practice spaces for students.

“Industry can become a living lab for the children, so they know skills that match industry needs,” said Purwanto.

According to data from the West Java Education Office, there are currently 1,123 potential industries in West Java whose support can be optimised to raise the quality standards of SMK graduates at both regional and national levels.