Yogyakarta, April 30, 2025 – Sekolah Vokasi, Universitas Gadjah Mada (SV UGM) continues to encourage synergy between vocational education and the business world through the launch of the Teaching Factory (TEFA) program. The event was held on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in Room 201, 2nd Floor of the TILC Building, Sekolah Vokasi UGM, marking a strategic step in strengthening practice-based education aligned with real industry standards.
Teaching Factory (TEFA) is a learning model that integrates academic processes with the production of goods or services based on industry standards and procedures. Through TEFA, students gain hands-on work experience in an environment that mirrors actual industry practices, aiming to enhance competencies and boost the competitiveness of vocational graduates.
The event began with remarks from the Vice Dean for Research and Community Service, Dr. Wiryanta, S.T., M.T., who highlighted the importance of Teaching Factory as a form of applied research directly connected to societal and industrial needs. He emphasized that TEFA provides opportunities to generate innovations capable of creating sustainable business units within the campus environment.
In his address, Dean of Sekolah Vokasi UGM, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Agus Maryono, IPM., ASEAN Eng., stated that the Teaching Factory is a key indicator of the success of SV UGM’s learning system. Through TEFA, students, lecturers, and applied laboratory workshops can collaborate to produce products or services with real market value. “We hope that Teaching Factory products can represent works developed from analysis through testing on a large scale. This is a direct contribution of vocational education to society,” he said.
Also present, Prof. Sang Kompiang Wirawan, S.T., M.T., Ph.D., Secretary of the UGM Directorate of Business Development, expressed the view that Teaching Factory should be directed toward mass production in order to create a broader economic impact. He further stressed the importance of a “partnership and collaboration” approach rather than merely “selling products” to institutions, so that mutual growth can be achieved.
The TEFA launch also featured presentations from leading research groups. Among them was the Smart and Green BIM (Building Information Modeling) group, chaired by Ir. Hanif Ilmawan, S.T., M.Eng., IPP, focusing on sustainable building management. Another was the Cocoa TEFA group, represented by Dr. Eng. Annie Mufyda Rahmatika, S.T., M.T., which emphasized the importance of downstream development in the cocoa-based agroindustry. The smart agriculture group presented innovations for extending the shelf life of melons and strategies for collaborative marketing with industry partners.
Meanwhile, in the field of environmental engineering, Prof. Agus Maryono also introduced the Teaching Factory “Rainwater Harvesting” as a community service project that is now being developed into a ready-to-market product. Each research group showcased how Teaching Factory is not merely about work practice but also about shaping an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship within the vocational campus.
The event received positive responses from industry partners in attendance, who noted that research-based products from SV UGM hold significant potential for further development, especially if supported by stronger marketing strategies and business collaborations. Partners also suggested that the academic community use TEFA products as part of initial branding before entering wider markets.
The series of activities concluded with the signing of cooperation agreements for the development of Teaching Factory, a group photo session, and a shared hope that this program will inspire other units within UGM to foster tangible contributions of higher education to society.
SDGs: 4, 8, 9, and 17
Writer: Febriana Trisnawati