Vocational High Schools (SMK) are back in the spotlight after several studies stated that SMK graduates were unable to compete with high school graduates in the labor market. This research is based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) regarding the open unemployment rate for vocational school graduates which has consistently increased from 2011 to 2018.
Responding to the debate regarding Vocational Schools, Article 33 Indonesia, based on the results of its research, found that the determinant of someone being accepted for work is their achievements, not their vocational or high school educational background. For this reason, Article 33 Indonesia recommends that the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud) focus on improving the quality of education. This finding is one of the results of research entitled "Vocational School Revitalization and Its Relevance to the Business and Industrial Worlds". The results of this research were presented in a dissemination organized by the Center for Policy and Foreign Relations of the Ministry of Education and Culture in Jakarta on November 1 2019 at the Millennium Hotel, Jakarta.
This policy discussion event was attended by the Ministry of Education and Culture's Vocational School Development Directorate, the German chamber of commerce (EKONID), representatives of German companies, hotels and representatives of the Indonesian pastry chef association as well as several heads of vocational schools in Jakarta. The Article 33 Indonesia research above was carried out with support from the Ministry of Education and Culture's PKLN and the Knowledge Sector Initiative (KSI) funded by DFAT Australia. This research is the 3rd research that received support from the Ministry of Education and Culture's PKLN with a different theme.
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