four competences, namely: a Achievement orientation, b Concern for order, quality and
accuracy, c Initiative, and d Information seeking.
2. Helping and human service cluster; consisting of two competences, namely: e Interpersonal
understanding, and
f Customer
service orientation.
3. Impact and influence cluster; consisting of three competences, namely: g Impact and influence,
h Organizational awareness, and i Relationship building.
4. Managerial cluster; consisting of: j Developing others, k Directiveness, assertiveness, and use
of positional power, l Teamwork and cooperation, and m Team leadership.
5. Cognitive
cluster; consisting
of three
competences, namely: n Analytical thinking, o Conceptual
thinking, and
p Technicalprofessional managerial expertise.
6. Personal effectiveness cluster, consisting of four competences, namely: q Self-control, r Self-
confidence, s Flexibility, and t Organizational commitment.
A particular work requires persons with a correspondingly
particular competence.
The vocational education graduates are then hoped to be
capable of accomplishing certain works in accordance with the predetermined competence
standards. The profile of ideal vocational education graduates becomes a basis on which to design
educational
processes, such
as curriculum
development, educators recruitment, and available resource allocation. The profile of vocational
education graduates can be formed by an aid of the concept of competences above. The preparation of
vocational education graduates should, of course, involve stakeholders to get a holistic perspective on
the
characteristics of
vocational education
graduates. Based on the definition and scope of
competence as described above, it certainly needs to be followed up by its implementation through
developmental process.
Therefore, the
characteristics of competence development include 1 emphasizing the achievement of the competence
of learners either individually or in group, 2 learning outcomes and diversity oriented, 3 using
varied learning approaches and methods, 4 learning sources are not only teachers, but also
other learning sources that meet educative elements, and 5 emphasizing learning assessment against
competences mastering and achievement targets.
To achieve the competence of learners a competence-based curriculum CBC approach has
been applied currently as one of the approaches to determine whether the competences that are
attained really explicate the tasks determined as a standard. Under the scope of this competence
approach, the list of competences in form of tasks often used as a psychomotor tasks is developed in
accordance with the competences objectivity. The CBC is limited by one of its assumptions that
capability of
accomplishing a
task is
a demonstration of competence. The approach
explains the real condition that needs performance of learners task adequately, effectively, and
appropriately that can not easily be interpreted in practice.
4. A Concept of Interaction between Vocational
Education and Industrial World
The objectives of industry development according to Law No. 5 of 1984 are among others:
a to improve the prosperity and welfare of people fairly and equitably by utilizing funds, natural
resources, andor cultural products and by paying attention
on environmental
balance and
conservation, b to promote economic growth in stages and to change economic structure toward a
better, advanced, health, and balanced one, c to enhance competence and control and to support the
invention of effective technology and to develop the capacity of industrial business world, d to provide
and equalize opportunities of doing business, and e to promote the participation of community so that
they play a role more actively in building industry.
Notwithstanding the objectives of industry development above, in fact in Indonesia there are
numerous, diverse industries and enterprises spreading in community. The potentials of such
business and industrial world are a golden opportunity for candidate vocational education
graduates, be it as a learning source for developing those competences that have been obtained in
classroom and as labor markets according to their professions. Thus, vocational education should
create and utilize opportunities in attempt to promote its cooperation and interaction with
industrial world.
Both vocational educational institution and industrial world equally need a good, mutually
beneficial interaction. However, industrial world has not yet attracted to approach vocational
education, and therefore it is the vocational education that should be proactive.
In some European states, United States, and Japan, for certain times and programs, industrial
world very often visits universities to select those students who are eligible to and interested in the
needs of industrial world. In Indonesia, there are also some industries that did the same, but they did
it sporadically.
Viewed from the needs of industrial world for enhancing the quality of their products and services
professionally, both vocational education and industrial world are interdependent. Therefore, in
order to promote and develop the competences of its candidate in a realistic manner, vocational
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education certainly should not just wait information from industrial world, instead it should proactively
search for information on what industrial world needs related to the potentials of human resource as
the actors in industrial world according to their areas of competences.
5. Industrial World as a Learning Source for Candidate Vocational Education Graduates
Currently, vocational education has indirectly conducted interactions and cooperation with some
industries in attempt to realize its mission and the desired performance. In the context of promoting an
interaction between vocational education and industrial world in order to make the latter as a
learning source for vocational education graduates, there are at least four things to attend. First, the
performance that has been achieved in a context of historically good cooperation between vocational
education and industrial world should be promoted and improved further. The empirical experience
from the implementation of interaction above is important as a means of systematical approach in
order to promote cooperation. Second, the experience and historical approach vocational
education has with certain industries should be followed up by a systematic approach with
interaction with other industries. Third, vocational education should continuously conduct planned,
continuous evaluations such as by research, in order to reduce the barriers encountered and to
eliminate those aspects in the program that are irrelevant to the existing development. And fourth,
other forms of cooperation that are not yet existent conceptually but essential and highly needed should
be sought in a form of programs.
To support the achievement of the four things above
it needs
for vocational
education management to conduct the following: a
Sustainable evaluation
and development
of curriculum to narrow the discrepancy with
technology development in industrial world, analysis of the periods of the existence of students,
lecturers, administrative
staffs, infrastructuresfacilities,
management, organizations, and finance. All the components are
directed to support the concept of promoting interaction between vocational education and
industrial world, as far as it is not in contrary with the prevailing legislations; b. The management of
vocational education should pay a special attention on the last-year learners. They should early do so
because labor market is increasingly narrowing, besides from increasingly intensive competition.
The learners should be made aware to be prepared to anticipate the development of employment world
in 21st century where competition is very intense, and that they should prepare themselves mentally
not to easily give up and are ready to work hard. By working hard a candidate vocational education
graduate may achieve the expected competence; c the interaction between vocational education and
industrial world as a learning source for the learners of vocational education provides three functions for
learners in relation to employment in community. First,
to further
enhancesupplement the
competences obtained from vocational educational institution. Second, they get opportunity to search
for employment in industrial world that is suitable with their professions. Third, there are also the
graduates of vocational education who are capable of creating new employment either by themselves
or in cooperation with their colleagues; d The vocational education may spend some time
specially to develop communication with its graduates that are spreading in various industries
and companies. Thus, and interaction between vocational education and industrial world and
businesses can be created that has a positive impact and provides opportunities for growing and
developing the actualization of interaction between vocational education and industrial world and
businesses. 6. Conclusion
In attempt to promote the implementation of competence-based curriculum CBC, vocational
educational institution should pay more attention on the implementation of the programs of cooperation
and interaction with industrial world and businesses based on the following understandings:
1. In vocational education area, the development of competence becomes urgent given that at
present recruitment and selection, assessment of performance, promotion and career planning are
made based on the criteria of competence. The profile of graduates of ideal competence
becomes a basis in developing an educational process by implementing a competence-based
curriculum, both in theory and in practice.
2. The development of competence involves: an emphasis on the achievement of competence of
learners, individually and in groups; learning outcomes- and diversity-oriented; applying
varied learning approaches and methods; learning source is not only teachers, but also
other learning sources that meet educative elements, and emphasize learning assessment
against competences mastering and achievement target.
3. Currently, vocational education has developed some cooperation and interactions with some
industries, but such programs should be widened and intensified further, because those
candidate vocational education graduates who conducted an on-the-job training may utilize
industrial world as a learning source in developing their competences.
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