UNDIP Vocational School continues to improve to become a center for superior and international standard vocational (applied) education. Various efforts and breakthroughs have been made by the UNDIP Vocational School throughout 2023. These include improvements and additions to campus infrastructure, namely the construction of the Diponegoro University Vocational School Workshop Center Building, various Teaching Factories which produce biodiesel and drinking water products as well as electrical equipment, IBC (Innovative Business Center), E-Learning Studio, Vocational Tax Corner, increasing human resource (HR) competency by implementing Capacity Building, implementing BIM (Building Information Modeling), to create excellent service for the entire academic community. In terms of learning methods, vocational schools consistently implement Project-based Learning (PBL). In fact, academic and non-academic achievements have been made by the UNDIP Vocational School over the past year.
Dean of UNDIP Vocational School, Prof. Dr. Ir. Budiyono, M.Si., said that one of the UNDIP Vocational School’s efforts to improve the quality of its graduates is by equipping students who graduate not only to get a diploma but also to have competency certificate. “Not just any certificate, this is a certificate issued by the Professional Certification Institute (LSP), which is licensed by the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP) so that graduates are ready to compete in the job market,” he said.
Budiyono added that the advantage of vocational schools compared to academic undergraduate programs is that vocational education is more practice-oriented, namely 70% practical, compared to educational undergraduate programs, which are only 30% practical. In contrast to an academic Bachelor’s degree, which focuses on developing general academic, scientific, and technological abilities, vocational education is directly oriented towards various work skills as the development of students’ competencies.
The Vocational Education Paradigm is Changing
The current paradigm of parents tends to change according to the development of the times. In the past, they wanted to send their children to an academic bachelor’s degree program. In the current situation, they want their children to remain graduates, but graduates who have skills and competencies so that when their children graduate, they can immediately get a job.
Vocational education is a level of education that is always dynamic in making changes to the educational curriculum in accordance with job market growth and adapting to developments in science and technology. The growth means that vocational education will always experience a paradigm shift.
In 2023, UNDIP Vocational School has achieved many achievements both on the national and international levels. Among them, the Industrial Chemical Engineering Technology (TRKI) and Automation Engineering Technology (TRO) Study Programs at the UNDIP Vocational School received Grant Funds for the Vocational Competitive Fund Program, 3 UNDIP Vocational Lecturers received awards from the 2023 DIKSI Kemendikbudristek in the field of Research.
Meanwhile, for student achievements, the UNDIP Vocational School succeeds every year in producing 100 students to become entrepreneurs through the UNDIP Vocational School’s 100 Young Entrepreneurs Program. 4 UNDIP Vocational School students who are members of the UNDIP Choir Team (PSM) UNDIP succeeded in achieving achievements in the Taipei event. International Choral Competition 2023, 18 UNDIP Vocational Applied Foreign Language Study Program students are currently doing internships in Japan, and next year, that number will increase to 40 students. In addition, UNDIP Vocational School students won 3rd place in the 2023 National MAWAPRES.
