The Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) collaborates with the Education Fund Management Institute (LPDP) to distribute degree and non-degree scholarship programs for vocational education. This program, aimed at teachers, lecturers, students, and students, aims to prepare superior human resources to face educational transformation.

Director of Partnership and Alignment of Business and Industry Ahmad Saufi said that the transformation and relevance of vocational education is a challenge amidst rapid technological advances and industrialization. Through this collaborative program, the Ministry of Education and Culture, namely the Directorate General of Vocational Education, seeks to solve the problems of human resource development that are still being faced.

These issues include: (1) Limited vocational human resources in accessing vocational education development scholarship programs, (2) qualifications and competencies of vocational human resources that need to be aligned with the needs of the business world and the industrial world, (3) skillsets and life skills of vocational human resources that need to be updated so that they can be relevant in rapid industrial changes, and (4) Fulfillment of the number of vocational educators that need to be added to qualify the needs of productive vocational teachers and lecturers."How to create vocational personnel according to DUDI's needs and access that has not been seen so far. Through the vocational scholarship program can answer the President's promise to improve vocational human resources to be superior," said Ahmad Saufi during a discussion with the media in Jakarta, Friday (21/05 ).

Meanwhile, the Director of Vocational and Professional Higher Education, Beny Bandanadjaja, said that through this scholarship program, vocational teachers and lecturers could receive further education in higher education, both at home and abroad. The hope, continued Benny, can create vocational teachers who understand and know the vocational world better. "So that they can make vocational education in Indonesia more advanced. Moreover, so far, there are still many vocational teachers who do not have a vocational education background," said Beny.

Together with the LPDP, Beny said that this vocational scholarship would be easier to reach and believes this program is different from the LPDP scholarship in general. "Previously, what was handled by the LPDP was very broad in scope, one Indonesia, covering all ministries. For this time not, we will focus on the Ministry of Education and Research and Technology. So, we already understand the registrants and know their quality. It will make the screening less stringent." he said.

Benny continued, this vocational scholarship program was the first and newest breakthrough in the Ministry of Education and Culture. This cooperation scheme with the LPDP makes screening for scholarship hunters easier because it has been agreed that the scholarship is specifically for vocational education. "This scheme is also being made for the first time. We are working with the LPDP as the funder. However, the selection requirements are made by the Ministry of Education and Research and Technology. This makes competitive opportunities less difficult. Access to LPDP is easier. Because we already understand those who are entitled to receive it," said Beny.

This vocational education scholarship, which opened in 2021, consists of degree and non-degree programs. For degree programs, the scholarships provided are S-1 / D-4 Candidate Vocational School Teacher Scholarships. This financing scheme aims to increase the quantity and quality of qualified vocational teachers, especially in productive subjects. Through this program, it is hoped that there will be an acceleration in the fulfillment of SMK teachers relevant to the dynamics of the future industry.

Meanwhile, Degree Education Scholarships for lecturers and prospective lecturers of Vocational Education Organizing Higher Education Institutions (PTPPV) are divided into scholarships for further study at the S-2, S-3 levels, and joint/dual degree S-3 PTPPV lecturers. This scholarship scheme is a breakthrough in vocational education because there has never been a special scholarship aimed at vocational lecturers so far. This scholarship is expected to answer the problem of regeneration of PTPPV lecturers with qualified qualifications, has international competitiveness, and is relevant to the needs of industrial development.

Seven Non-Degree Scholarship Programs

Apart from the two-degree scholarship programs, at least seven non-degree programs are being offered. This non-degree program aims to improve the competence and skills of human resources in the vocational field through funding for a certain period.

The first is the Vocational Bridging Course, a program to improve English language skills for lecturers and non-lecturers who are prospective LPDP scholarship recipients to access further education in vocational education in overseas universities. The following program is the Free Vocational Campus, a unique program for vocational students to improve skills and soft skills to enter the world of work and foster entrepreneurship. This program is also a form of implementation of free learning g echoed by the Ministry of Education and Research and Technology.

The third non-degree program is the PTPPV Lecturer and Education Personnel Apprenticeship. Apprenticeship activities consist of lecturer internships at other universities, lecturer internships in industry, and opening opportunities for educational staff to do apprenticeships at vocational colleges. This program aims to broaden the insights of lecturers and education staff to increase their professionalism and ability to carry out daily tasks. This program can also improve the industrial experience of lecturers and create a vital bridge between lecturers and the industrial world and with other universities.

Next is the PTPPV Lecturer and Education Personnel Professional Certification Program. Owning a professional certificate is a form of quality assurance of the competencies possessed by vocational education human resources. Certification is also an acknowledgment from professional and industry associations related to the competence of lecturers and academic staff in vocational studies. It is hoped that through this program, the community and industry as stakeholders have confidence in the quality and relevance of education and education personnel at PTPPV.

Fifth is the Domestic Applied Scientific Research Program - PT Vocational Lecturer, which provides financing oriented towards meeting the needs of industrial demand-driven. This program characterizes the research style in vocational education as well as a breakthrough program to build an applied research ecosystem for future development. The significant objective of this research is to become a solution to economic and social problems, both industry and society. With this program, PTPPV can find the needs that stakeholders expect. The presence of PTPPV can also be felt directly, both by industry and the surrounding community.

Other non-degree programs are the Project-Based Learning Program / Certified Field Work Practice for Vocational School Students (Domestic and Abroad) and the Certified Project Based Learning / Internship Program for Vocational Teachers (Domestic and Abroad). SMK students need ample opportunities to gain work experience and improve their technical competence through direct learning in industry, both at home and abroad.

Likewise, vocational school teachers have the opportunity to improve technical competence directly from the industrial world, both at home and abroad. The impact of the implementation of this program is expected to be able to improve the technical competence of SMK teachers so that they are better able to see problems broadly, analyze, and find alternatives or solutions to solve problems in the industry so that they can become a solution for developing learning methods for SMK teachers.

Information along with registration for the Vocational Education Scholarship Program for the Vocational School Teacher Candidate Scholarship Program, S-2 / S-3 Scholarship for Lecturers / Prospective Lecturers, Bridging Course, PBL for Vocational School Students and Teachers, and Applied Scientific Research, can be accessed by potential participants via the https page:

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