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MARFEST prepares SMK students to face Industry 4.0
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Eager Learners: Students smile during an inspirational class of the Djarum Foundation-sponsored March Festival (MARFEST) 2020, held on March 12-14 at Raden Umar Said Kudus vocational senior high school (SMK) in Central Java. The festival features creatives and professionals of all backgrounds to arm the students with the skills and know-how they need to join the world of work in Industry 4.0. (Courtesy of Djarum Foundation)
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number of public figures visited the Raden Umar Saidvocational senior high school (SMK) in Kudus, Central Java, to share their knowledge and experiences with its students over the weekend.
Taking in turns in front of the curious students during the three-day March Festival (MARFEST) from March 12 to 14, thespeakers offered ideas, tips and strategies about how to prepare forthe fourth industrial revolution, dubbed Industry 4.0.
Hosted for the first time by the school, which has been receiving guidance from the Djarum Foundation, the festival celebrates the spirit of "Merdeka Belajar" (Freedom to Learn) in Indonesian education.
MARFEST features 12 multidisciplinary and cross-professional expertsthrough multiple eventsthat offer everything from inspirational classes to exhibitions, and from fashion showsto musical performances.
Djarum Foundation program associate Galuh Paskamagma said MARFEST was held to prepare competent graduates to join the world of work in Industry 4.0, and that the event offered vocational school studentsan opportunity to improve their skills.
For example, the inspirational classes provided not just theories,and the featured speakers also guided participantsonputting the theories into practice.
“All students are welcome to join the inspirational classes according to their interests,” said Galuh.
She added that the festival's themefollowed the "Merdeka Belajar" concept that SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus had implemented, under which its students were free to choose subjects to match their interests.
Known for its animation program, SMK Raden Umar Said Kudus applied theconcept specifically forsecond- and third-year students, while first-yearstudents took general coursesin theirchosen majors.
“The concept will help improve students spiritually and creatively, because they learn according to their passions,” said Galuh.
The school’s Animation Studio head, Agam Amintaha, agreed and said that the school had adopted the concept in 2015 – before incumbent Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Makarim launched the conceptas part of his education reform program.
“We did not call it 'Merdeka Belajar'back then, but when the minister launched [his program], we recognized it as similar to what we were already applying here,” said Agam, adding that the concept had undergone several improvements since it was first introduced.
Education professional Ita Sembiring, who founded MARFEST, said that the festival was created to encourage freedom to learn (FTL), a new paradigm that encouraged educational institutions to adopt a student-centered approach to learning.
Such autonomy in learning, Ita continued, was believed to empower students toward innovationandadaptabilityin preparation for joining the world of work.
At the same time, the event provided students with the "knowledge to survive" that armed them with the know-how on what steps to take after graduation, she said.
Ita said that the 12 experts were specifically invited to speak at the festival’s inspirational classes on current interdisciplinary and cross-professional topicsin the working world.
The line-up ofspeakers included renowned theater actor Butet Kertaradjasa, filmmakers Naya Anindita and Mahesa Desaga, film composer Aghi Narottama, scriptwriter Bene Dion and comic book artist Muhammad “Mice” Misrad.
Other speakers hailed from more corporate backgrounds, such as IndiHome marketing management vice president Aulia Marinto, Kumata Studio CEO Daryl Wilson, Temotion-Tempo Animation CEO Chandra Endroputro, Sepikul Institute CEO Tommy Tjokro, dots Indonesia founder Eka Adrianie and Amithya.miafounder-owner Mia Utari.
Their topics ranged from creating characters to designing a production to attract producers, and to developing a production from multiple concepts. Otherscovered business opportunities for vocational school students in the digital era, the art of communication, writing film scripts and digital marketing for small businesses in fashion.
Kumata Studio's Daryl spoke about the animation industry, emphasizing the importance of collaboration to survive Industry 4.0 and product automation to meet demand in the era.
Daryl, who also chairs the Indonesian Animation Industry Association, praised the festival forlinking the education and business worlds.
He said Indonesia currently had 75 vocational schools specializing in multimedia and animation that produced over 10,000 graduates each year. Yet, only 5 percent of graduatesweretruly ready to work, partly because of a lack of connections between the schools and industry.
“Events like this have the [potential] to link the two,” he said.
