Consortium of Polytechnics throughout the Riau Islands Launches Implementation of Partnership Ecosystem Strengthening Program for Innovation Based on Regional Potential in the Riau Islands

POLIBATAM-The consortium of polytechnics throughout the Riau Islands (Kepri) carried out the launching and focused discussion of the partnership ecosystem strengthening program for developing innovation based on regional potential in the Riau Islands. The agenda will take place on Tuesday, 3 October 2023, at the Auditorium of the Politeknik Negeri Batam campus, Batam Center. The Riau Islands Polytechnic Consortium consists of the Politeknik Negeri Batam (PTV Pengampu), the Batam Tourism Polytechnic, and Politeknik Bintan Cakrawala. The event began with tribute dance entertainment, “Sekapur Sirih,” which is a traditional dance from the Riau Islands which is generally performed to welcome noble guests.

This agenda was officially opened by the Riau Islands Provincial Government, represented by Assistant 1 for Government and Social Welfare, Dr. H. T. S. Arif Fadillah, S.Sos., M.Si. The event was attended by deputy mayors/regents in the Riau Islands, regional secretaries in the Riau Islands, Directors of Polytechnics throughout the Riau Islands, leaders of representatives from the world of business/industry/associations/communities, Principals of Vocational Schools in the Riau Islands, Chairs of the MKKS Vocational Schools in the Riau Islands Province, and well-known mass media in Riau Islands. Also giving a speech at this event, Dr. Wardani Sugiyanto, M.Pd., Director of Vocational High Schools, Directorate General of Vocational Education (Ditjen Diksi) Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek).

Dr. Wardani Sugiyanto, M.Pd, said that the momentum for vocational education to take part in regional economic development was strengthened by Presidential Regulation (Presidential Decree) Number 68 of 2022 concerning the revitalization of vocational education and vocational training. Through this Presidential Decree, a national strategy for vocational education and training was formed, as well as a national vocational coordination team/tim koordinasi vokasi nasional (TKVN) and a regional vocational coordination team/tim koodinasi vokasi daerah (TKVD). Now, vocation is not only driven by central policy but also by the Regional Government and Regional Chamber of commerce and industry. One of the points in this transformation is changing the approach from supply-driven to demand-driven. Vocational education is also currently transforming. This spirit of transformation is marked by freedom of learning, where students are now freer to obtain learning not limited only to the classroom but also through various experiences outside the classroom, even directly in the workplace, for example, through PBL, internships, etc.

Riau Islands Province has extraordinary natural wealth and maritime resources. However, the challenge in this area is optimizing this potential with a competent workforce and in line with industry needs. Responding to this, Uuf Brajawidagda, Ph.D., Director of Batam State Polytechnic and Plt. Mitras Director Dudi added, “We see a gap between education graduates, especially vocational education, and the demands of the industrial world in Riau Islands. For this reason, the Directorate General of Vocational Education through the Directorate of Partnership and Harmonization of the Business and Industrial Worlds (Mitras DUDI) has given a mandate to 20 polytechnic consortia throughout Indonesia, including the Polytechnic Consortium throughout the Riau Islands to carry out the partnership ecosystem strengthening program for the Development of Regional Potential-Based Innovation in the Riau Islands Province. It is hoped that this program can be a solution to overcome this misalignment.”

The head of the Riau Islands Partnership Ecosystem Strengthening Program, Sudra Irawan, S.Pd.Si, M.Sc., stated, “We want to identify key actors, potential, advantages and regional innovation that can support Riau Islands’ economic growth. Apart from that, we also want to see how the workforce needs in the Riau Islands will be met in the future. There are 8 main stages carried out in this program, including literature study, first focused discussion and program launch, analysis of initial data obtained from the first focused discussion, second focused discussion in Bintan, survey and field visits to 7 cities/districts in Riau Islands, analysis final data and modeling using the forsight method and system dynamic method, then preparing a policy brief which is the result of analysis from workforce planning and innovation planning research, and the third/closing focused discussion by inviting the stakeholders involved to convey and discuss the results policy brief. We believe, with the collaboration of all parties, we can provide the best solution for human resource development in the Riau Islands.”

On this occasion, an MoU was also signed between the Riau Islands Polytechnic Consortium (Politeknik Negeri Batam, Politeknik Pariwisata Batam, dan Politeknik Bintan Cakrawala) with several regional governments, including the Karimun Regency Government, Tanjungpinang City Government, Bintan Regency Government, Lingga Regency Government, and the Anambas Regency. The MoU covers the development of science and technology in economics, social culture, tourism, and other fields. Apart from that, it is also related to providing experts and technical personnel in conducting studies and assisting regional development programs and public services, encouraging the realization of regional potential development, and increasing the resource capacity of the state civil apparatus.

After the launch event, continued with creative dances from Batam Multistudi High School Vocational School students, then continued with a focused discussion event featuring resource persons from the Riau Islands Province Development Research Planning Agency/Badan Perencanaan Penelitian Pengembangan (Barenlitbang), Riau Islands Province’s One Stop Investment and Services Service/Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu (DPMPTSP), Riau Islands Province labor office, and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry/Kamar Dagang dan Industri Indonesia (KADIN) Riau Islands. The focused discussion allowed the various stakeholders to share data, knowledge, and experience to create a synergistic ecosystem model in the Riau Islands region.

In the focused discussion session, Raymond Rayendra Elven, S.Si, M.A., M.S.E., from the Riau Islands Province Barenlitbang, delivered insight into leading sectors based on business fields in Riau Islands in 2023-2028, Insight into potential sectors based on business fields in Riau Islands. , the availability of regional innovations and their uses based on priority sectors in the region/region, and regional innovation plans for the short term (1 year), medium (3 years), and long term (5 years).

Risma Rini, S.STP., M.Pub., from the Riau Islands Province’s One Stop Investment and Integrated Services Service (DPMPTSP), outlined trends and insights into growth and investment levels based on business sectors in the Riau Islands for the past 5 years, trends and insight into targets/ investment plans based on business sectors in the Riau Islands for the next 5 years, trends and insights into internal and external factors that trigger increases/falls in investment levels in the Riau Islands, and trends and insights into licensing or regional/national policies that make investment in the Riau Islands difficult/easier.

Dewi Mulyani, SKM, M.Kes, M.Ak, from the Riau Islands Provincial Manpower Service, conveyed trends and insight into the unemployment rate in Riau Islands based on the business sector that occurred in the past 5 years, trends and insight into labor absorption in the Riau Islands based on the business sector that occurred in the past 5 years, trends and insights into fulfilling labor needs in the Riau Islands based on business sectors, predictions of labor needs (number and type of skills) in the next 5 years, internal and external factors that cause trends in workforce absorption/fulfillment in the Riau Islands which occurred in the past 5 years, suggestions for improvements as a solution to problems related to unemployment/absorption/fulfillment of the workforce in the Riau Islands in the future, and plans for fulfilling the workforce in the Riau Islands for the next 5 year period.

Dr. Suyono Saputra, from the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) of Riau Islands, conveyed trends and insights into fulfilling labor needs in Riau Islands based on business sectors, trends and insights into labor needs (number and skills) per industrial sector, predictions of labor needs (number and type of expertise) in the future, trends and insights into Soft skills/core skills expected by industry in the Riau Islands, trends and insights into Critical Occupation List Regions/Regions and predictions for the future, trends and insights into internal and external factors that cause absorption trends/workforce fulfillment in Riau Islands that occurred previously, suggestions for improvements as a solution to problems related to unemployment/absorption/fulfillment of workforce in Riau Islands in the future, and plans for workforce fulfillment in Riau Islands for the next 5 year period.

At this event, vocational products from 3 Polytechnics and 4 Vocational Schools in the Riau Islands were also exhibited. Polibatam displays robot products, animation products, and ships. Bintan Cakrawala Polytechnic displays tourism package products. SMKN 2 Batam displays bread products, banana chips, dragon fruit chips, herbal medicine, Indonesian bun mannequins, nail art, batik ranga (in the form of mama and papa’s clothes displayed on mannequins) and tanjak sets. SMKN 4 Batam displays chemical engineering products (hand washing soap, carbol, transparent and dishwashing soap) and graphic products. SMKN 5 Batam displays robot products, CNC machines and lathes, and manual and digital ship sketches.

The partnership ecosystem strengthening program for regional potential-based innovation development is a research program organized by the Director General of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology, with funding from the Education Fund Management Institution/Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP). This program is a grand design for development research in regions/territories over a period of 3 years, referring to the potential and advantages in the region as well as the regional development priority agenda. The program aims to synergize partnerships and alignment between vocational education units and regional stakeholders to produce a policy brief containing workforce planning and innovation planning to produce innovation clusters based on regional potential or needs, then produce innovative models/products/designs/systems that needed for the development of regional priority sectors.

The analytical method used to produce the policy brief is the Foresight method. The foresight method is a systematic approach to identifying trends, anticipating possible developments, and formulating strategies to face future challenges and opportunities. This analysis is intended to combine all existing things (data obtained, opinions and input obtained during focused discussions, as well as long-term planning) into several future policy strategy scenarios.

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