TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto said that the ministry’s link and match program between vocational schools (SMK) and the industry would be a basis of education reform at SMK that was expected to open up bigger job opportunities for their alumni.

“This program was established because President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) knows many SMK alumni are jobless,” said Airlangga on Monday, March 18, in Sukabumi, West Java.

The minister said the results of the program would be evident within two to three years, considering students require three years to undergo the education.

“This link and match program has commenced for two years, and the process is not instant. We can see the results in the next three years,” said Airlangga.

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The ministry, he added, targeted to provide one million certified workers by 2019 through six flagship programs, namely the competency-based vocational education into dual system, the construction of polytechnic in industrial area and central region of industrial growth (WPPI), the development of link and match program. To date, as many as 2,604 SMKs have been linked to 885 industries with a total of 4,971 deals.

The other programs are the 3 in 1 system of education and training program (training, certification, and job placement) that was targeted to reach 72,000 people in 2019, the infrastructure development of competency (SKKNI, LSP, and Competency Certification), and the construction of the center of innovation and human resources development for Industry 4.0.

ANTARA