Indonesia Wants to Learn Vocational School From Germany, Minister Says

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 18 April 2016
Category: News
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Minister RetnoMarsudi, accompanied by Indonesian Ambassador to GermanyFauziBowo, gives a press conference in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday (17/4)

Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs Retno L.P. Marsudi at a press conference in Berlin said that President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo’s working visit to Germany this timeis also aimed at learning about vocational education in Germany.

According to her, vocational education needed to respond to the needs of today’s market.

Retno added that the President on Monday (18/4) is slated to visit Siemens ADT center of vocational training and education and meet with Indonesian citizens in the country.

“As you (reporters) have already known, since early years, students in Germany have been directed whether they will go to university or choose avocational school although there are some points in which they can switch from vocational school to university,” Retno said to reporters in Berlin, Germany on Sunday (17/4).

The Minister also said that now Indonesia is facing competition following the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) at the beginning of the year, qualification and expertise of Indonesians in certain fields of professions must be improved and one aspect of this is by strengthening vocational education.

Retno added that vocational education was aimed at preparing Indonesia to embrace its demographic bonus.She added that to improve or strengthen vocational education, the Government should partner with the private sector and one of Germany’s key success factors in education is the partnership between the private sector and the Government.

In the meantime, Indonesian Ambassador to Germany Fauzi Bowo explained the German education system to journalists at the press conference.

According to him, after compulsory education of nine years, students were given the opportunity to go to university or continue their studies at vocational education institutions.

“They are given an apprenticeship opportunity. They already receive a salary of a moderate amount, and two days a week they get vocational education that focuses on skills,” Fauzi said.

“We have to improve the skills of our young generation and this will be the backbone of Indonesia’s economy in the future. It is this system that Indonesia will try,” Fauzi added. (DNS/ES)(EP/YM/Naster)

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