Enhancing Ready-to-Work Graduates Through Vocational Education Development

Enhancing Ready-to-Work Graduates Through Vocational Education Development

Article
22nd August 2022

Kawan Lama Sejahtera (now Kawan Lama Solution) with over 65 years experience in technics and machinery is part of Kawan Lama Group in Commercial & Industrial business pillar, who actively supports the preparation of quality ready-to-work graduates to fulfill the need of industries. Through the vision of World Class Company where one of its focuses is “sharing industrial expertise”, Kawan Lama Sejahtera provides supports in the development of vocational education through a series of activities for students and teachers, such as holding seminars about industries, National Metrology Competition for SMK Students, National Metrology Competition for Teachers, Polytechnic Metrology Competition, participation in Student Competency Contest (LKS) both provincial and national levels, to MoU with ministry of education. 

In National and Provincial LKS for SMK Students, Kawan Lama Sejahtera gives support of practice testing equipment to be used in competition, either metrology, welding, machinery, also a series of trainings as preparation for contest. Moreover, the company also gave Nilfisk High Pressure Cleaners to schools at various locations in Indonesia, whose distribution was done gradually. Besides for cleaning purpose, the products can also be used for practice. The support was also done by welcoming the visit of vocational students, such as at 23 June 2022, where more than 100 students and six teachers from SMKN 36 Jakarta visited Kawan Lama Sejahtera showroom in Jababeka. In the event, the visitors received education about industrial world and introduced to various equipment, so they could get familiar with equipment and machines in industries, to complete education in theory they already learned in school.

Sadewa Sri Atmaja, Student of SMKN 5 South Tangerang - The Winner of LKS Banten Province 2022 said, "Before the day of contest, I visited the venue and found out a Kawan Lama Sejahtera technician was setting the welding equipment. I was taught how to set the ampere level of the equipment, welding wire speed, welding technique, and finishing. The knowledge is very useful for my future. I'm also ready to enter industry where oil, gas, or high pressure pipe welding requires professional welders. I also want to establish workshop with my friends someday."

Yessi Febrina, S.Pd, Teacher of Mechanical Engineering SMK Yuppentek 1 Tangerang expressed her appreciation, "Yesterday at the contest, we realized that not all the participants had facilities that match with the real industries' needs. And when we were participating in LKS, we met real equipment supported by Kawan Lama Sejahtera, basically the same equipment but the technology was more advanced. This is also additional value for our students because they can know the latest technology used in industries. This is also our motivation to give learning experience to students." 

Previously, in the signing of cooperation agreement event (MOU) between PT Kawan Lama Sejahtera and Ministry of Education's Directorate General of Vocational Education at 3 May 2022, Wikan Sakarinto as Vocational Directorate General welcomed the tight cooperation, "Through this cooperation, we tighten link and match between vocation and industry. Hopefully we all can work together in creating supermatched graduates, whose competency match perfectly with industries' needs. From curriculum composing, teaching together, internship, competency certification, to teacher and lecturer training, etc., all done together. Indonesia is proud of having Kawan Lama Sejahtera, national company that will become global by the power of Indonesian work force potential who are competent and whose we create together."

Albertus Primusanto, Director of PT Kawan Lama Sejahtera stated, "Kawan Lama Sejahtera engages in technical equipment, surely trainings we give related to field we are expert in, which are metrology or measuring equipment, machinery, welding, automotive after market, and automation/robotics. In 2020, supported by one of our principals, we held metrology competition for schools. At the time, our concern was the same, that education in measurement field for the vocational students needed to upgrade, resulting we held the competition." 

Kawan Lama Sejahtera has been supporting vocational education development since 2000, as the form of advancing education system through skill and knowledge sharing, trainings of technical equipment, establishing link and match between education and work. For ones who want to have their own business such as establishing workshop, this can also be useful, because the use of industrial equipment is applicable to diverse needs. Hopefully all this can support the development of business and industry fields in Indonesia.