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ASEAN professional competency should be included in school curriculum
Hundreds of students joined the âHello ASEANâ community parade on at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Oct
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Hundreds of students joined the âHello ASEANâ community parade on at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Oct. 30, 2011. (JP/Nurhayati) (JP/Nurhayati)
Hundreds of students joined the 'Hello ASEAN' community parade on at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Oct. 30, 2011. (JP/Nurhayati)
Preparing Indonesian students to compete with ASEAN professionals is considered to be of great importance ahead of the region's economic integration, scheduled to happen at year-end.
Indonesian Chamber of Commerce workforce committee official Iftida Yasar said on Monday that in facing the ASEAN Economic Community, Indonesia needed to improve students' skills and education, and in particular introduce them to the competency standards of ASEAN professionals.
'The government should begin to put competency standards in the curriculum of vocational high schools and polytechnics to prepare them for the workforce,' Iftida told thejakartapost.com.
The Mutual Recognitions Agreement (MRA), an agreement on the transfer of professionals between ASEAN member states, will embody competency standards set by member states for each professional in their own field who intend to travel and work across ASEAN borders.
Expected to be finished by the end of the year, the MRA will recognize eight scopes of professionals, namely accountants, architects, doctors, dentists, nurses, engineers, surveyors, and tourism professionals, and will facilitate their movement throughout the region as their licenses, education and experience will be recognized in all ASEAN member states.
'Indonesians can work anywhere in ASEAN countries because ASEAN will adopt the same qualifications and standards,' Iftida said.
However, the main problem lies in young students who will soon join the workforce. According to Iftida, even though they may have education and skills, they would not understand nor have developed work ethics as school did not teach them.
Thus, Iftida asserted that after the MRA had been adopted, vocational high schools and polytechnics should change their curriculum and include lessons on work ethics and assist students to pass the ASEAN professional license test.
