UNDIP Vocational School continues to improve to become a Center for Vocational (Applied) Education of Excellence and International Standard. Various efforts and breakthroughs have been made by the UNDIP Vocational School throughout 2023. These include improvements and additions to campus infrastructure, namely the construction of the Diponegoro University Vocational School Workshop Center Building, various Teaching Factories which produce Biodiesel and Drinking Water products as well as electrical equipment, IBC (Innovative Business Center), E-Learning Studio, Vocational Tax Corner, increasing human resource (HR) competency by implementing Capacity Building, implementing BIM (Building Information Modelling), to create excellent service for the entire academic community. In terms of learning methods, vocational schools consistently implement Project-based Learning (PBL). The Undip Vocational School has made theoretical and non-academic achievements over the past year.
Dean of UNDIP Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si, said that one of the UNDIP Vocational School’s efforts to improve the quality of its graduates is to equip students who graduate not only to get a diploma but also to have a competency certificate. “Not just any certificate, this is a certificate issued by the Professional Certification Institute (LSP), which is licensed by the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP) so that students, after graduating from campus, are ready to compete in the job market,” he said.
Budiyono added that the advantage of Vocational Schools compared to academic undergraduate programs is that vocational education is more practice-oriented, namely 70% practical, compared to educational undergraduate programs, which are only 30% functional. In contrast to an academic Bachelor’s degree, which focuses on developing general academic, scientific, and technological abilities, vocational education is directly oriented towards various work skills as the development of students’ competencies.
The Vocational Education Paradigm is Changing
The current paradigm of parents tends to change according to the development of the times. In the past, they wanted to send their children to academic undergraduate programs. In the current situation, they want their children to remain graduates, but graduates who have the skills and competencies so that when their children graduate, they can immediately get a job.
Vocational education is a level that is always dynamic in making changes to the educational curriculum by job market growth and adapting to developments in science and technology. This means that vocational education will always experience a paradigm shift.
In 2023, UNDIP Vocational School has achieved many achievements both at the national and international levels, including the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI) and Automation Engineering Technology (TRO) UNDIP Vocational School Grant Funds for the Vocational Competitive Fund Program, 3 UNDIP Vocational Lecturers received awards from DIKSI Kemendikbudristek 2023 in the field of Research.
Meanwhile, for student achievements, the UNDIP Vocational School succeeds every year in producing 100 students to become entrepreneurs through the UNDIP Vocational School’s 100 Young Entrepreneurs Program. 4 UNDIP Vocational School students who are members of the UNDIP Choir Team (PSM) Undip achieved achievements in the Taipei event. International Choral Competition 2023, 18 UNDIP Vocational Applied Foreign Language Study Program students are currently doing internships in Japan, and next year, that number will increase to 40 students, as well as UNDIP Vocational School students winning 3rd place in National MAWAPRES 2023. (SDGs SV Undip)