Semarang City-The Vocational School of Diponegoro University cooperates with two national construction companies through a Higher Education Cooperation Agreement with Industrial Partners, to work hand in hand to strengthen each other according to their respective competencies. This time, the two national building material companies that were partnered with were PT INS Lysaght Bluescope Indonesia and PT Nusantara Building Industries.
The collaboration is currently focused on the Department of Civil Engineering Study Program and Civil Infrastructure Engineering Concentration Planning and Architectural Design for the Vocational School of Diponegoro University. Through this partnership, it is hoped that the harmonization between vocational education and the world of work can be increased.
The Deputy Dean for Academic Affairs of the Vocational School of Diponegoro University, Dr. Ida Hayu Dwimawanti, M.M., confirmed that the scope of cooperation was still focused on Civil Infrastructure Engineering and Architectural Design Study Programs. However, this collaboration has strategic value for Vocational Schools because it will become the main performance indicator of Vocational Schools, which must be able to produce a lot of collaboration related to Link and Match and learning process activities.
“We hope that through this collaborative program, Vocational Education can produce graduates who are more competent and can directly meet the needs of workers in the industry. Because this cooperation program will have practitioners teaching from the company to campus. In addition, students are also given the opportunity to do internships at the company,” said Dr. Ida Hayu, Friday (9/16/2022).
According to him, actually, real cooperation has taken place. But to provide certainty for each party, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed as a formal legal form which was carried out in July 2022. With the MoU, joint activities carried out are protected by law.
“We as a university are grateful to be able to find partners who can accept students for internships directly, even for six months. We are also ready for research, training and laboratory tests that are needed according to our competencies and infrastructure.”
The Head of the Civil Infrastructure Engineering Study Program and Architectural Design of the Vocational School of Diponegoro University, Asri Nurdiana, S.T., M.T., admitted that he was grateful that many construction companies and the building materials industry were willing to open themselves up to become partners of the Vocational School of Diponegoro University. Regarding cooperation with PT. INS Lysaght Bluescope Indonesia and PT. Nusantara Building Industries, Asri Nurdiana said, in fact, it has actually been going on for the last two to three years. “The signing of the MoU is just an affirmation of commitment.”
Asri Nurdiana admits that vocational education still needs partners to improve students’ skills, especially in the world of work, as well as to encourage research that is relevant to industry needs. The teaching and learning process at Vocational Schools itself is 75 percent of teaching in the form of field practice. So that the goal or output of all graduates can be ready to work. This means that the input and design process is carried out in such a way, one of which is collaboration with partners such as curriculum preparation and others. “We also invite partners to prepare the curriculum. It is hoped that there will be input so that the courses given are relevant to the needs of the industry. We also invite industrial practitioners to become lecturers in certain subjects.”
With this pattern, what is developing in the world of the building materials industry and construction companies, for example, can be directly known by the lecturers and students of the Vocational School. Vocational higher education providers are very aware that there is often a missing link between the world of education and industry, so that, through a partnership pattern, this can be minimized. “To narrow this gap, we have recruited a number of practicing lecturers to support the educational process, so that students receive teaching according to current industrial developments,” said Asri Nurdiana.
Representatives of company partners, Operational Manager of PT. Nusantara Building Industries Alexander Handoyo, S.H., admitted that he was happy to invite universities, especially the Vocational School of Undip University, to collaborate with companies. “For us, this collaboration is part of the family’s value. The family here is not blood related, but how these people can develop together and benefit all stakeholders. Starting with employees, employees’ families and people around. It is also a corporate social responsibility. We have done this before the government issued a law on the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program and we have been doing this for the company since it was founded,” said Alex.
Alex confirmed that technically the cooperation had been carried out before, and that the MoU was carried out as a complete administration. He hopes that cooperation can be developed and continue for the long term. “If we don’t provide a place for them to study, we are certainly wrong. So the process can be legally protected according to the direction of the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, Nadiem Makarim, whose laws are very good, starting from internships, the management of training is all very clear. So we are very happy because all parties feel protected and accommodated, “he explained.
Based on the information obtained, both PT. INS Lysaght Bluescope Indonesia and PT. Nusantara Building Industries are national private companies with Domestic Investment facilities that are engaged in building materials industry activities. The company is currently in Jakarta and has a branch in Central Java.