Kemenperin Selengglakan Program D1, Graduates Can Work Directly

Photo: Special

JAKARTA - Human Resources (HR) of the overall labor force in Indonesia in the Industrial Era 4.0 totaled 144.01 million people or 69.06 percent of the total working age population totaled 208.54 million, with the composition of workers graduated from SD-SMA 86.99 percent, Academy / Diploma (D1-D4) as much as 2.88 percent, and higher education (ST to Universitas) as much as 10.13 percent.

The lack of workforce from graduates of vocational education or D1-D4 can create a competency gap between the world of education and industry, where the competence of the new workforce is not in accordance with the needs of the industry in the field.

"In order to support industry in providing competent workers, the Ministry of Industry has conducted higher education at several levels, ranging from Diploma to the Applied Masters, including programs equivalent to Diploma 1 industrial cooperation," said Arus Gunawan, Head of the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI) of the Ministry of Industry, in a written statement, Friday, December 9.

Equivalent education D1 industrial cooperation is carried out as a tangible manifestation of cooperation between the government, educational institutions and the industrial world. Through this program, it is hoped that it will reduce the competency gap between the industrial world and the world of education which has finally created competent industrial human resources without any retraining program by industry.

"In 2021, the Ministry of Industry has facilitated as many as 981 students to attend this education spread across 21 regencies/cities in 11 provinces," explained Restu Yuni Widayati, Head of PPPVI BPSDMI of the Ministry of Industry, during the Monitoring and Evaluation of the Equivalence Program for Equivalent Education D1/D2 Industrial Cooperation some time ago.

Periodically, the program is monitored and evaluated so that the education program equivalent to D1/D2 industrial cooperation to input, process, output and outcome that is already running, is ongoing and will come.

"Equivalent education D1 Industrial cooperation is carried out for one year and the graduates are immediately absorbed in working in the industry. Students participate in Field or Trade Work Practices every end of each semester for three months, so that from one year of education, 50 percent of learning activities are carried out directly in the industry," continued Restu.

In its implementation, the Setara D1 Education Program is organized by the education unit of the Ministry of Industry in collaboration with industries from various regions in Indonesia. The Ministry of Industry Education Unit provides teaching staff and facilities, while the relevant industries will receive D1 graduates in accordance with a cooperation agreement, so that graduates will immediately work.

"We hope that this program is a real effort by the Ministry of Industry in overcoming industrial human resources problems, namely the large number of open unemployment, low labor force education rates, and low labor productivity," said Restu.