Indonesia strengthens vocational education links with industry

..human resource development must be positioned as a long-term investment..

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower is stepping up efforts to strengthen links between vocational education and industry as part of efforts to develop a skilled and competitive workforce, a ministry official said here on Wednesday.

Secretary-General of the Ministry of Manpower Cris Kuntadi said vocational education should equip students with practical skills that meet the needs of businesses and industries.

"Knowledge taught in the classroom should not stop there. Vocational education emphasizes the ability to perform, practice, and produce," Kuntadi said in a statement received in Jakarta.

His remarks came as the Polytechnic of Manpower (Polteknaker) signed a cooperation agreement with PT Huawei Tech Investment on education, competency development, and human resource empowerment. The agreement represents an operational follow-up to the understanding previously established between the Ministry of Manpower and Huawei.

"This is an operational follow-up to the understanding that has been built between the Ministry of Manpower and Huawei. What was agreed at the ministerial level is now being translated into concrete actions at the educational institution level," he said.

Polteknaker, the ministry's only vocational higher education institution, is tasked with preparing skilled workers through study programs in Occupational Safety and Health, Industrial Relations, and Human Resource Management.

Under the partnership, the two sides will collaborate in three main areas.

The first covers education and teaching through curriculum alignment, industry visits, practical training facilities, and the involvement of industry professionals in public lectures and seminars.

The second focuses on competency development through training programs, including the ICT Academy Training to Trainer initiative, which enables lecturers to update their technology skills and transfer knowledge to students.

The third involves human resource empowerment through internships, job market information, and campus hiring programs that connect young talent with business and industry needs.

He said the cooperation would benefit all study programs at Polteknaker.

Students of Occupational Safety and Health will gain insights into workplace safety in the digital era, while Industrial Relations students will strengthen their understanding of modern labor relations. Human Resource Management students will learn about global talent management practices.

He added that all competency development programs undertaken by the ministry ultimately aim to improve the quality of Indonesia's human resources.

"Therefore, human resource development must be positioned as a long-term investment that will determine the nation's competitiveness in the future," Kuntadi said.

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Translator: Arnidhya Nur Zhafira, Martha Herlinawati Simanjunt

Editor: M Razi Rahman

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