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Indonesia to introduce skill certificates at vocational schools
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Skills over grades: Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri (from left to right), State-Owned Enterprises Minister Rini Soemarno, Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Research and Technology and Higher Education Minister Muhammad Nasir, Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution, Coordinating Human Development and Culture Minister Puan Maharani and Culture and Education Minister Muhadjir Effendy show a gesture of unity on Nov. 29 after signing a memorandum of understanding in a joint effort to improve the vocational education system. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)
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he government is planning to improve the current vocational education system with multiple skill certificates, in which vocational school (SMK) students can earn certificates after completing training courses in addition to their graduation diploma.
Coordinating Economic Minister Darmin Nasution said such a system could speed up the process in workforce procurement. Moreover, should a student drop out from school, they would already have some certificates that could be used to find a job.
"Three years is too long for students to receive their graduation diplomas. Some who drop out would not be able to find a job," Darmin said after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) among five ministries to improve vocational education.
Data from the Education and Culture Ministry show that Indonesia currently has more than 13,000 vocational schools, each of which specialize in one of several fields, including tourism, business, maritime industries and machinery.
Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said SMK courses would be divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels, with each level involving specific courses over the course of a year.
"Students at a SMK specializing in construction, for example, must finish courses on making windows, doors or kitchen sets at the beginner level. Later at the intermediate level, they will learn about brick construction and cement plastering," he said, acknowledging that the government was still working to design the new system. (hwa)
