Managing the Challenges of Vocational Education and Training in Indonesia-The Mire of Uncertainty!

doi:10.7176/jep/12-33-03

Abstract

The Indonesian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector currently faces many challenges. Across the country, a complex historical amalgam of training facilities is overseen by a centralized administration, which itself is composed of many different Institutes and bureaucracies, each of which has some coordination and resource responsibilities for the implementation of VET. Managing this VET provision is an essential part of Indonesian’s training reform agenda. The Indonesian Government’s higher educational reform Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka has recently been introduced to radically reshape the tertiary education sector through ‘emancipated learning’ requiring innovation, creativity and collaboration. This policy shift has challenged industry, civil society, and educationalists to steer a pathway toward tertiary educational reforms particularly in respect of the challenge in preparing human capability programs that meet the demands of a modern workforce. Therefore a refocus towards closer partnerships between VET providers and the industries they serve is urgently needed in order to meet the competency standards required of a modern Indonesian workforce. This paper explores these national and international challenges as they pertain to managing these transformational VET reforms. Keywords: Vocational Education and Training, Competency standards, Kampus Merdeka. DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-33-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2021

Highlights

The Indonesian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector currently faces many challenges
A complex historical amalgam of training facilities is overseen by a centralized administration, which itself is composed of many different Institutes and bureaucracies, each of which has some coordination and resource responsibilities for the implementation of VET
The current approach of the Ministry of Educations’ Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka has sought to ‘free the individual’ from the constraints of ‘standardization’ and an educational policy of ‘one size fits all philosophy’ (Neumann, 2021). In light of these policy shifts, it would seem that to stimulate the reorganization of VET reforms, the development of a prescriptive Law may be needed to harmonize the current conflicts of interest among the ministries involved, and further, to ensure adequate resources are available for successful implementation

Summary

Introduction

The Indonesian Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector currently faces many challenges. This review paper explores the challenges of managing VET in Indonesia by examining: (i) policy initiatives; (ii) national coordination and human capability development; (iii) Industry-VET partnership engagement; and (iv) management implications for VET providers and business organisations. Fairman et al (2020) noted, 13 ministries are managing VET institutions, and consistency and determination in managerial approach are critically needed for guiding a national policy initiative (Fairman et al, 2020).

Results

Conclusion