The number of unemployed people in Indonesia in 2016 is noticed as the lowest point since 1998. Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration notes that the unemployement rate in 2016 , at 5.5 percent or approximately in the number of 7.02 million people, is lower than unemployement rate in 2015 which is at 5.81 percent or approximately in the number of 7.81 million people. Hence, it needs some efforts from any related parties in order to empower the quality of human resources. Skill of work or entrepreneurship have to be set up since early stage.
The Sociology Research Center in collaboration with Good News From Indonesia held discussion series about policy innovation for the first time. In this first edition, Major of Kudus Regency, H. Musthafa Wardoyo explained the innovative policies in Kudus regency for two periods of his leadership.
In this discussion, the presented theme is about vocational education. In Kudus regency, there are many vocational high school that teach skills in various field, such as mechanical engineering, animation, culinary, and fashion. All of those vocational high school which are standardized as Senior High School level do not use regional government budget, but by inviting any multinational and national companies to cooperate as partnership.
Major of Kudus Regency, H. Musthafa Wardoyo, revealed that starting from 2007 the number of vocational high school students has continously increased alongside the additional students from other regional area to get education in vocational school. As said by Musthafa, there are 28 courses that possessed by all vocational high school over Kudus regency till the end of 2016. According to that number, eight of them exist as favorit courses that are sponsored by companies. As he said, it is in consideration of regional regulation about 12-years compulsory free education that had been carried since the first period of his leadership.
“Although Kudus Regency has no sea, we want to take a charge over Indonesia maritime by preparing the students in nautical vocational high school. Thus, we build nautical school” said Musthafa. “ I expect there will born nautica personnel from Kudus who will take a charge over world maritime axis” he added. SMK Wisudha Karya Kudus is the only nautical vocational high school in Indonesia which has full mission bridge simulator facility. Beside nautical courses, the other favorit major of vocational high school in Kudus regency are fashion and culinary. Culinary course implements a curriculum which have obligatory for the students to master 30 traditional culinary icon in minimum.
Those vocational high school have an aim to improve skills of Kudus citizen in order to be ready to work in any fields after graduating from Senior High School, by reason of not all Kudus citizen can get higher education. Surprisingly, the students of vocational high school in Kudus are welcomed to working field since the second grade.
This event is moderated by Dewan Pakar Gerakan Nasional Revolusi Mental, Prof. Paulus Wirutomo. Some experts in various field also invited as panelist to criticize the policies of Major Kudus Regency. The panelist are Meutia Ghani-Rochman, Ph.D. (Expert of Social Organization), Prof. Kamanto Sunarto (Expert of Education), Prof. Iwan Gardono Sujatmiko (Expert of Political Sociology), Imam. B Prasojo, Ph.D (Expert of Community Empowerment).
