Yogyakarta, August 11, 2025 – Sekolah Vokasi Universitas Gadjah Mada (SV UGM) received an official visit from Politeknik Mitra Industri in Room R201, 2nd Floor of the Teaching Industry Learning Center (TILC) Building. This visit served as a forum for sharing experiences and strengthening cooperation in developing a Teaching Factory (TEFA) learning model that is relevant to industry needs.
The event was attended by the Director of Politeknik Mitra Industri, Wikan Sakarinto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., along with his staff, as well as the Dean of Sekolah Vokasi UGM, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ir. Agus Maryono, IPM., ASEAN Eng., along with the leadership of Sekolah Vokasi UGM.
In his speech, Prof. Agus Maryono emphasized SV UGM’s commitment to opening itself up to various partnership opportunities, especially with vocational colleges throughout Indonesia. “We are open to collaborating with all existing polytechnics. Therefore, we are improving our human resources first through further study,” he said. According to him, further studies such as this are a strategic step to improve the quality of vocational education so that it can compete at the national and international levels.
The Director of Politeknik Mitra Industri, Mr. Wikan Sakarinto, S.T., M.Sc., Ph.D., explained that his party wanted to deepen their understanding of TEFA, starting from how the TEFA idea was developed, who the users or consumers of TEFA products are, how TEFA is integrated into the curriculum, to how students are involved in the process. “We want to learn from UGM’s experience in managing TEFA comprehensively, from the concept, implementation, to sustainable management,” he said.
During the discussion, it was revealed that TEFA ideas at SV UGM mostly came from two main sources, namely direct orders from industry partners and creative ideas from students. The finalization process of ideas was carried out in collaboration with Gama Multi UGM, so that the resulting products or services meet industry standards. The curriculum was designed in line with the institution’s mission and managed by the head of the study program, who developed it creatively based on external input from industry partners and accreditation results. The presence of industry lecturers or practitioners was an added value, as they were able to update the curriculum to keep it relevant to technological developments and job market needs.
In contractual aspects, SV UGM emphasizes the importance of involving third parties with legal expertise, especially to manage cooperation in large-scale projects. SV UGM has established a research unit that functions to manage and facilitate such cooperation. The main focus of this unit is to ensure that business and production aspects run optimally before entering into complex contract arrangements.
Regarding the role of students, SV UGM places them as an integral part of TEFA. Structural control remains in the hands of lecturers, but students are involved in various production, management, and idea development processes so that they can hone their practical skills and work readiness.
The visit concluded with both parties reaffirming their commitment to establishing long-term synergy, particularly in developing innovative, adaptive TEFA that is oriented towards industry needs. It is hoped that this collaboration will make a tangible contribution to improving the quality of vocational education in Indonesia.
Writer: Febriana Trisnawati