The East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) continues to emphasize its commitment to the revitalization of vocational education and training in Indonesia. Various activities have been carried out, including training of workplace trainers held periodically since several years ago as well as training of vocational consultants and the establishment of Vocational Houses.

This time, to improve the skills of vocational consultants, Kadin Jatim in collaboration with Swiss Contact held a “Trusted Advisor” training by bringing in an international level coach, Bjarne Brynk Jensen, founder of Brynk Business Academy Denmark who has been working with Kadin Germany for 18 years.

There were about 15 participants who attended the training, they came from various regions in Indonesia, including from Bali Polytechnic, Lombok Polytechnic, Jember Polytechnic, representatives of Lumajang Kadin and East Java Kadin and Rumah Voaksi Gresik. There were also vocational consultants from several industries, including PT Satoria Group and PT Citra Nutrindo Langgeng.

Participants received effective mentoring with a comprehensive presentation model, coach Jensen was able to hypnotize participants not to get bored even though during the training they were not allowed to interact with the outside world at all, including exchanging information via telephone or email.

Coach Jensen revealed that vocational education is a necessity. Not only for Indonesia, but also the whole world because the current challenge is how university graduates can meet industry needs. These graduates must have the skills or expertise needed by the industry. Therefore, vocational programs are important to ensure employment and industry needs can be met.

“As a Trusted Advisor, the graduates of this training will become translators to the industry on the importance of industrial cooperation with the world of education so that there are more apprenticeships in the industry and many companies participate in this program,” said Jensen, in a release from Kadin Jatim, Monday (3/6/2024).

He admitted that there are indeed many challenges that they must face, including how to provide understanding and trust in the industry to take more apprentices and then take graduates from the PT concerned.

“Our hope is that here they can share the obstacles encountered when they communicate with the industry so that we can equip them with tools or tools to facilitate their work,” he explained.

On the same occasion, Chairman of Kadin Jatim Adik Dwi Putranto revealed that there is still a gap between the industrial world and the world of education. Graduates in education have not matched the needs of the industry, so the “link and match” is very necessary.

For this reason, one of the activities of Kadin Jatim, in addition to carrying out workplace trainer training, is also to provide vocational consultant training and also trusted vocational consultant training or “Trusted Advicor” so that they can transmit the benefits of receiving apprentices in the industry.

“Vocational consultants are needed to bridge the gap. Likewise, when we harmonize the curriculum, we need Vocational Consultants. And this is an advanced training for Vocational Consultants. Previously they had participated in vocational consultant training with IHK Trier Germany, now there is a deepening from Swiss Contact,” said Adik at the time.

These Vocational Consultants are placed in the Vocational House that has been established by Kadin Jatim together with other TKDV Teams. Currently, the Vocational House is still in Gresik, but several regions have prepared to establish it by sending their representatives to vocational consultant training some time ago.

“There are about 10 regions that are preparing to establish Vocational Houses this year, including Surabaya, Sidoarjo, Pasuruan, Batu, Mojokerto and Kediri. But this year we will focus on establishing Vocational Training Centers in industrial areas,” he added.

For the Vocational House in Gresik, it has been running well and industries that actively participate in the apprenticeship program have reached 58 industries with a total of 79 cooperating schools.

Meanwhile, Engge Cristina, BOD Representative of Satoria Group, one of the participants of the “Trusted Advisor Training” in the vocational field admitted that she was grateful and proud to be able to take part in the training so that she could contribute and have a positive impact in creating harmony between the industrial world and the world of education.

“We as Trusted Advisor Training participants will definitely get better skills and insights to become trusted partners, both for companies and industries or schools so that we can have a positive influence on the industry and schools that vocational work programs can provide benefits for both parties. And this program can support in carrying out sustainable harmonious integration to improve the quality of the Indonesian workforce,” he concluded.