Ministry Of Education And Culture, Research And Technology Asks Poltekpar To Prepare Tourism Innovations

Director General of Vocational Education Kemendikbud-Ristek Wikan Sakarinto at the 6th Anniversary of Poltekpar Palembang in Palembang, Wednesday. (ANTARA/HO-Poltekpar)

PALEMBANG - The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbud Ristek) asked Tourism Polytechnics throughout Indonesia to prepare innovations after the COVID-19 pandemic so that this sector recovers quickly.

Director General of Vocational Education Kemendikbud-Ristek Wikan Sakarinto hopes that vocational education at the Tourism Polytechnic will immediately improve in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic situation.

"Tourism is quickly affected by the pandemic situation, and most recently recovered. But it can be anticipated, whatever the field, changes must be made," said Wikan Sakarinto at the 6th Anniversary of the Palembang Poltekpar in Palembang as reported by Antara, Wednesday, April 27. .

According to him, the tourism industry must adapt quickly in order to break the existing stigma.

Witan assessed that changes in the tourism sector must start with tourism human resources.

Therefore, the Tourism Polytechnic has an important role to support so that the transition process to a new normal tourism style can be carried out.

"After the pandemic, the dynamics of tourism has changed because the character of tourists has also changed. Previously they liked crowds, now they are private. They prefer staycations," he said.

Changes in the education curriculum of the Tourism Polytechnic are not only aimed at adjusting the needs of tourism.

Therefore, it is very important to implement the Link and Match education system by exploring the competencies needed by the job market in the future.

"If the tourist pattern is not responded to by changing the curriculum, it will not fit. For that we offer all Poltekpar to innovate in the curriculum," he said.

Wikan added that currently hard skills must be developed simultaneously by ensuring soft skills, leadership, character development and entrepreneurship.

This is said to be included in one curriculum so that tourism human resources are no longer massive so that they seem to only print craftsmen.

"The class must be made like a real industry. The tourism campus must be in the form of a hotel. So they can practice directly. The real world and classes are different. Soft skills must be practiced," he said.

Similarly, the Director of Poltekpar Palembang, Zulkifli Harahap, said that innovating in tourism is a current demand, so it is necessary to create a new scheme for the education curriculum at Poltekpar.

"We are discussing the new curriculum with the Senate," he said.

Zulkifli also considered that what they were doing was in line with the wishes of the Palembang Poltekpar so that he believed that they would actually form soft skills through learning by doing.