Jakarta administration has urged companies and industries to make more job training opportunities available for vocational high school students to help them develop their skills and obtain on-the-job experience.
"Since the demand for skilled labor in a business and industrial city like Jakarta will always be high, the involvement of industries is necessary to set the standard of our vocational education," Governor Fauzi Bowo said Tuesday at the opening of the city's job expo for vocational high school graduates, at Indonesia Miniature Park in East Jakarta.
"So, aside from gaining knowledge from qualified teachers, it is also important for vocational schools students to upgrade their skills and learn the real needs of certain industries through programs like internships or job training."
According to data from the Jakarta Education Agency, as of September, Jakarta had almost 200,000 students studying at its 574 vocational high schools. The students specialized in a range of fields including welding, automotive mechanics and hotel and tourism management.
The figure at vocational schools was higher than the 177,617 students studying at the 494 high schools in the city.
Rachmat Sugiyanto, the general manager of the Sahid Jaya Hotel in Lippo Cikarang, Tangerang, welcomed the governor's call, saying training partnerships between companies and vocational schools would be beneficial for companies and students.
"If we spot talented students during the program, we can offer them contracts in advance and employ them right after they graduate," he said, adding that his hotel had training programs with dozens of vocational schools in Jakarta.
Organized by Jakarta Education Agency, the two-day job fair offers graduates from city's vocational schools the opportunity to apply for hundreds of positions at more than 50 participating companies.
Mikha Demas, 18, a fresh graduate from SMKN 57 vocational school in Ragunan, South Jakarta, said he was happy to attend the job fair since it had been easy for him to apply for work at companies he was interested in working for.
"I actually dream of running my own travel agency, but first I want to spend a few years working in a big tourism management company to learn as much as I can," he said.
Vocational schools used to be considered "grade-two" schools, with many regarding them as places for students from poorer families to learn "instant" skills for their future employment.
With unemployment remaining high, the government has increased efforts to encourage junior high school students to study at a vocational schools to learn specialized skills that could help them find jobs after graduating.
The National Education Ministry is targeting by 2014 to see the number of students in vocational high schools double the number studying at conventional high schools.
This year, Jakarta has allocated 22.8 percent of its budget to state schools, with senior high schools and vocational schools getting an educational institution operator allowance. Senior high schools get Rp 300,000 (US$27) per student per year, while vocational schools get six times this amount.
