JAKARTA (ILO News) — Maximizing students’ learning and equipping them with skills which meet global maritime standards and labour market demand are among the key goals of new skills development partnerships launched today between the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) Skills for Prosperity programme in Indonesia (SfP-Indonesia) and Batam State Polytechnic (Polibatam) and Maritime State Polytechnic of Indonesia (Polimarin). SfP-Indonesia is funded by the United Kingdom government.
The programme works with the polytechnics to bring about enhanced alignment of their curriculums with industry trends and international standards in the maritime sector and strengthen their engagement with industry.
Through knowledge sharing and engagement of international partners—Solent University and City of Glasgow College—the SfP-Indonesia programme provides technical support for curriculum development and improvement, capacity-building for teachers and academic staff and enrichment of student learning experience. Students can benefit from interactive skills development through work-based learning and consultation with experts, which can eventually support their progression to decent work.
Establishing an employer advisory board for each of the polytechnics and promoting structured apprenticeships are among the programme’s endeavours to increase industry engagement. City of Glasgow College assists Polibatam in strengthening its four-year logistics and international trade study programme. Solent University works with Polimarin to develop a new four-year seafaring engineering curriculum.
During the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it is very important for our graduates and workers to not only acquire, but also master, knowledge and skills relevant to industry needs and global trends."
Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Indonesia's Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment
At the launch event, Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment, hailed the initiatives as vital for economic recovery. “I trust these partnerships will help increase a highly skilled and globally competitive workforce for the maritime industry and thus have a critical bearing on the sector’s economic performance,” he said. “During the post-COVID-19 economic recovery, it is very important for our graduates and workers to not only acquire, but also master, knowledge and skills relevant to industry needs and global trends.”
Polibatam and Polimarin have a strong focus on maritime education. They are among polytechnics and vocational academies selected by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (MoECRT) as a ‘Centre of Excellence for Partnerships’ to support other polytechnics in various capacities, including industry engagement.
Nadiem Anwar Makarim, Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, said at the event, “TVET or Technical and Vocational Education Training plays a pivotal role in providing quality human capital for the future of Indonesia maritime industry. I’m optimistic that the initiative taken by the ILO will be beneficial to support our attempt to accelerate human capital development.”
Although Batam is one of the main logistics hubs in Indonesia, much of the skilled workforce come from outside the region. Currently, Polibatam’s logistics and international trade study is the only programme focused on logistics in the province.
Uuf Brajawidagda, Director of Polibatam, stressed that, “With the status of the Free Trade Zone (FTZ), Batam plays an important role in international trade. Every day, around 3,000 ships pass through this area and carry out transportation and logistics activities. There is a high demand for skilled human resources in international trade and logistics. Our polytechnic is committed to fulfil the demand by continuously upgrading our curriculum to meet industry needs.”
As the only maritime school under MoECRT, Polimarin strives to produce globally competitive graduates. The ILO-UK programme will support the polytechnic in transforming its three-year diploma programme into a four-year study programme on seafaring engineering equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree.
Sri Tutie rahayu, Director of Polimarin, emphasized that, “As a polytechnic focusing on maritime education, we are committed to supporting the country's effort to strengthen the maritime sector. Our priority is to produce skilled maritime talent which can compete at the national and international levels. The partnership with UK institutions brings global perspectives and standards to enrich our curriculum.”
Owen Jenkins, British Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, said: “The UK and Indonesia are both proud maritime nations and I am very pleased that we are able to support the priority that President Joko Widodo gives to the sector, to better connect Indonesia’s 17,000 islands, and so to increase efficiency and effectiveness of trading goods across the archipelago. This programme will help ensure education of Indonesian students and workforce to high international standards, using the very best skills training and technical expertise the UK maritime sector has to offer. I look forward to seeing the new partnerships launched today continuing to support Indonesia’s economic development.”
Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste, emphasized the importance of skills development during the economic recovery.
“Skills development and positive reform within the Indonesian skills system will be critical factors in leading a human-centred recovery from the pandemic, in which young people can access education and training that leads to decent employment opportunities, and ensures that no-one is left behind. This goes hand-in-hand with the economic recovery, which will be fuelled by the growth of a skilled and productive workforce,” said Ms Miyamoto.
In addition to the partnerships with Polibatam and Polimarin, SfP-Indonesia provides technical support for shipbuilding curriculum improvement at Shipbuilding Institute of Polytechnic Surabaya (PPNS) and on international tourism management at Polimanado under other international partnerships. The University of Strathclyde supports PPNS and the University of Gloucestershire assists Polimanado during these processes.
The programme is part of the ILO’s ongoing skills development work with the government, social partners and other stakeholders in Indonesia.
