Surabaya - The Chairman of the East Java Provincial Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin Jatim), Adik Dwi Putranto, emphasized that the involvement of industries is crucial in expanding apprenticeship opportunities supported by government funding.

He conveyed this message during the 2026 Industry Engagement Program Outreach held at Graha Kadin East Java in Surabaya on Thursday (November 20, 2025).

The event brought together industry players, universities, and government representatives to strengthen their commitment to providing apprenticeship opportunities for students and to drive research downstreaming as a means of enhancing future workforce competencies.

According to Adik, East Java had once been on the verge of being surpassed by Central Java in terms of absorbing participants in government-funded apprenticeship programs. Therefore, in 2026, Kadin aims to ensure a significant increase in industry participation.

"The 2026 Industry Engagement Program is very important for us. Please take advantage of this opportunity to accept apprentices under the government-funded program, which also provides a stipend," Adik said.

He added that the success of apprenticeship programs largely depends on the readiness of company instructors. For this reason, Kadin has been tasked with certifying workplace trainers to ensure structured programs that produce real competencies.

On that occasion, Adik also shared experiences from industries that have directly benefited from apprenticeship programs. He recounted how interns were able to solve efficiency and technology-related problems that had long burdened industry players.

"When I hosted apprentices, they contacted their lecturers to help solve the problems faced by the industry," he explained.

Meanwhile, Arif Irwansyah, Director of the Electronics Engineering Polytechnic Institute of Surabaya (PENS), stated that the Industry Engagement Program is a momentum to strengthen ties between universities and the business sector.

Arif explained that PENS’ laboratory-based learning model enables students to produce applicable research.

"Our hope is that what we develop can be utilized by industry or conversely, that industry can inform us on how to optimize our products," he said.

Also present at the event, East Java Industry and Trade Agency Head Iwan emphasized that strengthening human resources is the foundation of regional economic development. In his remarks, he expressed appreciation for the synergy between industry and academia in fostering innovation that enhances productivity.

"Preparing a workforce that contributes income to the country this is what drives our economic engine," he noted.

At the same event, Fauzan Adziman, Director General of Research and Development at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, explained that the direction of national research policy is now driven by real industrial needs.

"Research is no longer based on the preferences of researchers; we listen to what industry needs," he concluded.