Furniture Industry Polytechnic in Kendal Industrial Estate, Central Java, has been completed and is now awaiting permission from the Ministry of Technology Research and Higher Education (Kemenristekdikti) for the acceptance of new students.

"Kendal Furniture Industry Polytechnic should be managed this year to the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. If you leave, you can open a new student, "Mujiyono, Head of the Education and Training Center (Pusdiklat) of the Ministry of Industry, told ANTARA News in Jakarta on Monday.

Mujiyono said that the campus was built on a 2-hectare area and would open three study programs, namely Furniture Industry Product Design, Product Technology and Furniture Industry Processing and Furniture Industry Business.

"This is indeed needed, because the furniture industry is abundant throughout Indonesia, but the school does not yet exist," said Mujiyono.

The polytechnic that will be inside the Kendal Industrial Estate will have four buildings, which consist of one four-story rector building for the promotion room on the first floor, rectorate room and office on the second floor and lecture rooms on the third and fourth floors.

In addition, three other buildings will be used for workshop buildings in each study program, which will be equipped with machines and equipment that are often used by industry.

According to Mujiyono, the polytechnic built is competency-based which links and matches the needs of the furniture industry in Indonesia.

This school will also use a dual system program, where students not only study in the classroom, but also follow the practice of field work every semester.

"We have also joined the furniture industry association, all furniture industry players, we have Forum Group Discussions (FGD), to compile the required study programs, what kind of curriculum, to the work practice plan, to the workforce placement," said Mujiyono.

The Ministry of Industry noted that employment in the furniture industry was 101,346 people in 2016 and projected to reach 202,692 people in 2018.

The furniture industry is a labor-intensive export-oriented sector, whose development is being prioritized in order to continue to contribute significantly to the national economy.

In 2016, the value of national furniture exports amounted to 1.7 billion US dollars with contributions from Central Java of around 0.98 billion US dollars or 57 percent.

In the next two years, national furniture exports are targeted to reach 5 billion US dollars with contributions from Central Java of 2.9 billion US dollars.

The main objectives of Indonesia's furniture exports going forward are the markets of the United States, Japan and Western Europe.

Pewarta: Sella Panduarsa Gareta

Editor: AA Ariwibowo

source: antaranews.com