Gibran Wants Vocational High School Graduates To Be In Line With Industrial Needs

Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka when giving a statement to reporters in Surakarta City, Friday, December 8, 2023. (ANTARA-Aris Wasita)

Vice Presidential Candidate (cawapres) number 2 Gibran Rakabuming Raka wants alignment between vocational high school graduates (SMK) and industrial needs.

"So, from SMK and industrial needs, they can be both matched," said Gibran in a video statement received in Jakarta, Friday, December 8, which was confiscated by Antara.

The Mayor of Surakarta revealed a solution related to the problem of unemployment which is dominated by vocational school graduates.

According to him, SMK-SMK will be invited to collaborate with the industry to assist and update teaching staff and their learning tools.

He gave an example in the city of Surakarta, he as mayor has implemented several vocational schools to cooperate with donors in the industrial world.

"There is a SMK that focuses on coding programming, we update all of its computers. There are also those who focus on food and beverage (food industry). So, we have updated our kitchen equipment. We have passed ready to work," he said.

According to him, with this alignment, it is hoped that it will no longer trouble SMK children, so that they can really answer the challenges of the times. When graduating from vocational schools, according to President Joko Widodo's eldest son, the children can be immediately absorbed by the industry.

"So, there is no need to have a course when it is finished from SMK," he added.

If he and presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto are elected to win the 2024 presidential election, Gibran admits that he wants to ensure that the solution is implemented stage by step, so that the unemployment problem in Indonesia can be resolved.

"We will cooperate with the private sector, because the industry needs that understand (are) industry players themselves," he said.