The Ministry of Industry continues to strive to improve the performance of the textile and textile product (TPT) industry, because it is a sector that makes a significant contribution to the national economy.

One of the strategic efforts made is to prepare competent human resources (HR) according to current technological developments.

In order to meet the need for skilled workers, the steps taken by the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI), among others, are to organize industrial vocational education.

This activity requires cooperation with various parties, including industrial companies and local governments.

"For example, in supplying competent human resources for the textile industry in Central Java, we held an Industry Gathering event in Surakarta City by inviting various industrial companies and the Surakarta City Government who have collaborated in developing industrial vocational education initiated by the Ministry of Industry," said the Head of BPSDMI of the Ministry of Industry. , Flow Gunawan.

The Head of BPSDMI explained that the Industry Meeting was a tangible manifestation of the implementation of vocational education which was always adaptive to industry needs.

"Through this event, the education unit always meets and communicates with its industrial partners to evaluate and develop the implementation of education so that it is always in line with developments in the industry," he explained.

The Head of the Center for Industrial Vocational Education Development, Iken Retnowulan, said that this Industrial Gathering aimed to build cooperation and collaboration between the Surakarta Textile and Textile Product Industry Community Academy and the Indonesian Textile Association (API) of Central Java, the textile industry, and the Surakarta City Government in providing dual system education. TPT field.

"We collect input/suggestions from associations, the textile industry and the Surakarta City Government which will later be used as an action plan for AK-Textile Solo related to the development of the Industrial Community Academy," he said.

In addition, Iken said that the Industrial Meeting was held to build harmonization between the needs of the industrial world and the implementation of industrial vocational education policies in advancing the textile industry through the provision of competent human resources.

During the event, BPSDMI also officially extended its cooperation with the Surakarta City Government regarding the Synergy for the Development of the Surakarta Textile and Textile Product Industry Community Academy through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties.

Arus said the extension of the collaboration with the Surakarta City Government was aimed at developing AK-Textile Solo so that it could produce qualified and competent industrial human resources, especially in the textile industry sector and strengthen the growth of the textile industry as a major contributor to the national economy.

Based on the Ministry of Industry's records, the export performance of the apparel industry throughout 2020 reached 7.04 billion US dollars. In this case, the textile industry sector was able to contribute 6.76 percent to the GDP of the non-oil and gas processing industry in 2020.

AK-Textile Solo is one of the educational units of the Ministry of Industry which was established in 2015 as a result of collaboration between the Ministry of Industry and Solo Technopark owned by the Surakarta City Government and the Indonesian Textile Association (API) Central Java to meet the needs of the textile industry workforce in Surakarta City and its surroundings.

AK-Textile Solo organizes educational programs equivalent to Diploma II and consists of 3 study programs, namely Yarn Making Techniques, Woven Fabric Making Techniques, and Garment Making Techniques whose graduates are directly placed to work in the textile industry in Surakarta and its surroundings.

In providing this education, AK-Textile Solo also collaborates with other vocational education units of the Ministry of Industry, namely the STTT Bandung Polytechnic as well as business and textile industry players as a manifestation of BPSDMI's flagship program, namely Link and Match which integrates the educational curriculum on campus with the industry so as to improve effectiveness of the learning process and produce competent graduates according to industry needs and ready to work directly in the industry.

From 2017 to 2020, AK-Textile Solo has graduated and placed 727 people to work, and in 2021 it will graduate 231 people to be directly placed to work in 22 textile industries.

In the future, AK-Textile will continue to implement the Industry 4.0 curriculum in all study programs because the textile industry is currently one of the priority industries in the Making Indonesia 4.0 program.

"We hope that this synergy will produce competent textile industry human resources who are able to encourage the textile industry to be globally competitive," added Arus while closing his remarks at the Industry Gathering and Signing of Memorandum of Understanding between BPSDMI and the Surakarta City Government.