Addressing a skills mismatch in Technical and Vocational Education and Training in Indonesia

More industry engagement in developing curricula and setting competency standards for Indonesia’s Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) can help address a mismatch between skills that graduates have acquired from the TVET system and what industry needs, according to a discussion at an ILO webinar on Wednesday, August 5.

Even though there has been some industry engagement in setting occupational competency standards, , there is still room for improvement, industry representatives, TVET educators and skills development experts from Indonesia and the United Kingdom said at the webinar, organised by the International Labour Organization(ILO)’s Skills for Prosperity programme  in Indonesia (SfP-Indonesia)



"The ambition of the project is to develop sustainable models for demand-led skills training, that can respond to the needs of industry, and can be benchmarked against global maritime standards."

The participants shared a common view that, on top of imparting technical know-how, TVET’s learning outcomes should prioritise soft skills, such as communication skills, which can increase the employability of graduates.

As digitisation, automation and robotics transform the world of work, industries are changing quickly. Many participants believed that the competency standards should reflect the future skills that companies will need tomorrow, and learning courses should be flexible and able to evolve.

Engaging industry to improve the school-to-work transition through work-based learning, such as apprenticeships, can also help solve the skills mismatch.

As part of the ILO-led Skills for Prosperity in Southeast Asia programme (SfP-SEA) which aims to improve the quality, inclusiveness, cost effectiveness and relevance of TVET and skills development systems in the region, the SfP-Indonesia will work with government agencies, educators, training providers, employers’ organizations and trade unions in four different provinces across Indonesia to address these and other issues. The programme in Indonesia will specifically support the development of the maritime sector, which consists of a range of sub-sectors – sea transportation, port operations and logistics, shipbuilding and repair and marine tourism.

"Providers of higher education programmes and employers of graduates need to work closely together to ensure that students gain the knowledge, skills and capabilities that employers need, in order to build productive, innovative businesses."

“The ambition of the project is to develop sustainable models for demand-led skills training, that can respond to the needs of industry, and can be benchmarked against global maritime standards,” said Mary Kent, SfP-Indonesia Chief Technical Advisor.

“Indonesia’s maritime sector has huge global potential for growth, butt this growth will rely on the growth of a skilled and productive workforce,” she added.

The programme will work closely with four different polytechnics—Manado State Polytechnic, Batam State Polytechnic, Maritime State Polytechnic Indonesia, and the Shipbuilding Institute of Polytechnic Surabaya.

“Given the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic on people’s lives, jobs and communities, it is more vital than ever that people are supported to gain the skills and qualifications needed to rebuild our economies and societies, and to drive economic, social and cultural development,” said Stephen Marston, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Gloucestershire, who shared similar experiences from the UK at the webinar.

“Providers of higher education programmes and employers of graduates need to work closely together to ensure that students gain the knowledge, skills and capabilities that employers need, in order to build productive, innovative businesses. The Skills for Prosperity programme gives us a great platform to share experience and ideas on how we best achieve this vital goal,” added Mr Marston.

Many participants also reflected that there is no silver bullet for improving TVET and skills development systems. Ismet P. Ilyas, Chairman of Association of Polytechnic & Industry Indonesia (APII), said his organisation has developed and promoted several methods for Industrial-Based Education and Training (IBET), such as internship programmes.

Funded by the United Kingdom government, both SfP-SEA and SfP-Indonesia will also work towards broadening access to TVET, job markets and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and vulnerable populations.

For further information, please contact:

Surasak Glahan

Communication and Information Management Officer

Skills for Prosperity in Southeast Asia programme (SfP-SEA)

glahan@ilo.org

This Article is taken from ILO website