Entrepreneurs and Practitioners Participate in Preparing Industry-Relevant Education

Industry is increasingly realizing that it needs to be directly involved in overcoming the competency gap in education graduates.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Pengusaha dan Praktisi Ikut Siapkan Pendidikan yang Relevan dengan Industri

DOKUMENTASI KEMENDIKBUDRISTEK

Launch of Pengusaha Mengajar (Entrepreneurs Teaching Program) to support vocational education that aligns with the world of work by the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) in Bekasi Regency, Thursday (2/1/2024).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - The business and industrial world is becoming increasingly involved in aligning the world of education and the world of work. This can be seen in the participation of practitioners in the working world in vocational and higher education.

Through the Practicing Educator program initiated by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), entrepreneurs belonging to the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) are strengthening human resources in the field of education.

Business actors participate in the Entrepreneurial Teaching Movement program. This program invites 1,000 entrepreneurs throughout all provinces in Indonesia to provide insights, motivation, and exemplary values to students and/or educators in facing Industry 4.0.

The Chairman of Apindo, Shinta W Kamdani, stated in a press release on Friday (2/2/2024) that the Pengusaha Mengajar program is a movement to prepare the golden generation of 2045. This program is also in line with the Presidential Regulation Number 68 of 2022 concerning the Revitalization of Vocational Education and Training.

Also read: Teaching Practitioners Support Higher Education Relevant to Industry

The Entrepreneur Teaching Program aims to create harmony and compatibility between vocational education and the needs of the business and industrial world (DUDI).

In addition, the implementation of the program is expected to produce competent and high-quality human resources in improving productivity, as well as opening opportunities for DUDI to introduce the company as a prospective job sector in the future.

The launch of the Entrepreneur Teach Program was conducted at the Mitra Industri MM2100 Vocational High School in Bekasi Regency, West Java, on Wednesday, January 31, 2024. The launch also coincided with the 72nd Anniversary of Apindo.

Entrepreneurs teaching at vocational high schools is an important part of preparing high-quality human resources as capital for development. Apindo plays a role in preparing for this. "We want to directly support them in entering the workforce," said Shinta.

Giving aspirations

Meanwhile, Director General of Vocational Education at the Ministry of Education and Culture and Research and Technology, Kiki Yuliati stated that the presence of practitioners teaching through the Entrepreneur Teaches program is crucial so that vocational human resources can keep up with their capacity in line with the developments of the industry.

Also read: Building “Bridges” for Academics and Practitioners

The presence of practitioners teaching is expected to provide inspirational thinking that can provoke young Indonesians to create innovations in the vocational field. "This program supports vocational human resources to quickly adapt to the demands of the education world," he said.

KOMPAS/ESTER LINCE NAPITUPULU

Lecturers at Bangka Belitung University (UBB) in Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung Islands, are enthusiastic about the Practitioner Teaching program which is part of the Independent Learning of Free Campus (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka). Practitioners from various fields of expertise can collaborate with lecturers in teaching relevant courses to prepare students to understand the dynamics of the working world.

The presence of practitioners as teachers, according to Kiki, not only provides insight for students about the true nature of vocational education and training (VET), but also serves as an inspiration for vocational students.

"Practitioners can give inspiration to students, teachers, lecturers and school principals. They who come to the campus in the future will not only tell stories, but also open minds and inspire the students' vision of what needs to be done in the future," said Kiki.

Until now, the education world has provided knowledge and science on school benches. The presence of practitioners from this industry will later connect the grains of knowledge and science through their teaching materials.

Practitioners can inspire students, teachers, lecturers and school principals.

Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah stated that Indonesia is facing various classic challenges and problems related to human resources, recruitment, productivity, and so on. "The Pengusaha Mengajar program is a real contribution from Apindo in improving the quality of human resources that will enter the world of work," she said.

Collaboration of courses

Inviting practitioners to collaborate with the education world is one of the flagship programs of the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) policy.

The Practitioner Teaching Program is a flagship program that connects students with practitioners through collaborative courses, so that graduates can acquire knowledge and skills in accordance with the needs and challenges of the world of work and the profession.

Students from the Toyota Indonesia Community Academy (AKTI) participated in an internship session in the engine production line of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) factory located in the KJIE Industrial Zone, Margamulya, Telukjambe District, Karawang, West Java, on Tuesday (14/3/2023).

Head of the Practitioner-Teaching Program, Gamaliel Waney, explained that the two years of implementing the Practitioner-Teaching Program have received positive responses from relevant parties.

This program is expected to provide a positive contribution in improving the quality of higher education in Indonesia, as well as preparing graduates from universities to face the dynamics of the world's future development.

Meanwhile, the Director of Human Resources at the Ministry of Education and Culture-Research and Technology, Mohammad Sofwan Effendi, conveyed that enhancing productivity and competency of human resources as well as supporting components for creating learning are highly crucial.

Also read: Relevant Education Prepares a Superior Generation

"Two important components that support the creation of learning are academic institutions that have expertise in their respective fields and industry practitioners, society, and the professional world who have professional experience," he stated.

Through this program, lecturers are expected to contribute to the professional world. Conversely, universities invite practitioners to participate in curriculum development and teaching in the classroom.

In this way, students will receive comprehensive preparation, academic knowledge from lecturers, and professional experience from practitioners.