Two governmental ministries have signed a collaboration agreement to encourage innovations for solving problems faced by Indonesian villages.
The agreement has been signed by the Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry and the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry. The directorate general of vocational education will collaborate with the Villages Ministry on behalf of the Education Ministry, an official said.
“Through vocational education, various new innovations can be produced that play a role in accelerating the development of human resources (HR), including in rural communities,” director general of vocational education at the Education, Culture, Research and Technology Ministry, Wikan Sakarinto, said in a written statement received here on Thursday.
The collaboration between the ministries has been established by the signing of the agreement. Sakarinto said, adding that vocational education aims to produce graduates with a strong character and who are skilled, competent, and competitive, as required by the business and industrial world.
A strong commitment from various stakeholders is also needed to build a link and super-match for the 8+1 package between the world of vocational education and the world of business, industry, and work, he said.
The concept of 8+1 package covers soft skills, visiting teacher expert from industry, internship, certificate of competence, training, applied research, commitment absorbing graduates, and scholarship/job contract/donation from industry
“As a priority program that is being pushed by the government, vocational education is prepared to be able to produce superior human resources who are competent, innovative, creative, and able to compete globally, so that vocational education can be the answer to the challenges of the era to develop public potential,” he added.
Meanwhile, head of the Development and Information Agency of the Villages, Development of Disadvantaged Regions and Transmigration Ministry, Suprapedi, said it is important to establish partnerships with various stakeholders to strengthen the common foundation in building and empowering rural communities.
“Through the XII National Effective Technology in 2021, it is expected that we can establish partnerships for all stakeholders, collaborate on pursuing village development, including conducting a Collective Labor Agreement with the Directorate General of Vocational Education,” Suprapedi remarked.
Through this collaboration, the Directorate General of Vocational Education is ready to facilitate learning in disadvantaged areas and transmigration in order to develop a vocational school curriculum that fits the needs of the industry, and supports innovation and the use of effective technology, he said. It aims to push up the productivity rate of villages, disadvantaged areas, and transmigration areas, he added.
The ministries are also preparing to push for building entrepreneurial capacity in village development, disadvantaged areas, and transmigration through the Entrepreneurial Skills Program and the Work Skills Program, he said.
Source: Antara News