Jakarta, Kemendikbudristek-Kemendikbudristek through the Directorate General of Vocational Education still continues to encourage domestic product utilization. Through Merdeka Belajar policies, innovation ecosystems in vocational education institutions are further strengthened to produce domestically-made products that are widely utilized both in-country and overseas.
In a virtual address, Minister of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim emphasized that vocational education units, like vocational high schools and higher education institutions, had been present to provide a platform for innovation supporting and developing Indonesian products during the 2024 Gernas BBI/BBWI X Vokasifest Ceremony.
“Many products born from the innovation, creativity of vocational students, and students of higher education are now widely used both domestically and internationally. Thus, Kemendikbudristek calls on all parties to continue strengthening and developing vocational education in Indonesia,” said Nadiem in his speech during the 2024 Gernas BBI/BBWI X Vokasifest Harvesting Ceremony on Saturday, July 20.
Nadiem said that Kemendikbudristek had been taking some breakthrough measures to increase the innovation ecosystem in vocational education. One of them is the SMK Center of Excellence Program, expected to benefit more than 1.7 million students from all over Indonesia.
Moreover, he said that these would mean further benefits in terms of wider internship opportunities in various world-class companies and more relevant learning through the Merdeka Curriculum. Another merit, he said, was that vocational higher education students have been given more freedom to study outside the campus as implemented through the Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka, or MBKM, programs.
According to the Director-General of Vocational Education, Kemendikbudristek, Kiki Yuliati, Vokasifest 2024 is an annual event to introduce vocational education as the solution for the diversity of challenges and social problems.
“Vocational education prepares the graduate to be work-ready but also solves various challenges, including entrepreneurship,” said Kiki.
Furthermore, Kiki said that vocational education could collaborate with micro, small, and medium enterprises to develop simultaneously. Through applied research development, the participants in vocational education can become involved and solve actual problems in the business and industrial sectors, including UMKM.
On the other hand, Acting DKI Jakarta Governor Heru Budi Hartono was very appreciative of the fashion designs produced by students from 11 DKI Jakarta Vocational High Schools which were featured during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Gernas BBI/BBWI X Vokasifest Harvesting. As stated by Heru, such products help to reinforce domestic products, one of the objectives of Gernas BBI/BBWI.
Dia hopes that the extraordinary creativity of the students of SMK Jakarta is always taken care of and nurtured.
The 11 SMKs who performed at the Harvesting Ceremony are known for their fashion design talents and had been champions of design competition events organized by the Representative Office of Bank Indonesia in DKI Jakarta. In the past few months, some of the students from these SMKs have been undergoing professional training in design, and the results for the fashion items are now listed in this E-Catalog, which can be ordered online.
The Gernas BBI/BBWI X Vokasifest 2024 was held on July 20 and 21 at Taman Lapangan Banteng. This activity is conducted by Kemendikbudristek in collaboration with the DKI Jakarta Provincial Government and the Representative Office of Bank Indonesia in DKI Jakarta, aiming at introducing local products to society and giving appreciation to the young generation of Indonesia’s creativity.
It held an exhibition of the works of vocational students and those of higher education, workshops, talk shows, and art performances, as well as various UMKMs fostered by the Provincial Government of DKI Jakarta and Bank Indonesia Representative Office in DKI Jakarta.