Enhancing The Competencies of Senior/Vocational High School and University Graduate in North Kalimantan

The alignment between the competencies of human resources developed through high schools, vocational schools, and universities in North Kalimantan, and the competencies required by the labor market, is a strategic and urgent matter that requires immediate intervention by the local government. This intervention is important because of the disparity between the competencies of high school, vocational school, and university graduates and the needs of the industrial and educational sectors, which ultimately has an impact on the open unemployment rate in North Kalimantan. This policy brief discusses several issues, including the vocational school curriculum, which is considered to be not fully responsive, and the lack of competence among teachers and educational personnel. This policy brief compiles policy recommendations, including: the formulation of a curriculum that accommodates DUDI, the development of partnerships, and the testing of educational curricula, with the aim of encouraging the North Kalimantan Provincial Government to formulate intervention designs and investments in human resource development that are responsive to these issues. Long-term investments that link the supply side of human resources from the education sector with the demand side of the labor market, or DUDI, are expected to strengthen regional competitiveness and innovation, reduce poverty, and lower unemployment rates in North Kalimantan.