Amid the ambitious “Golden Indonesia 2045” vision, our educational landscape is trapped in a worrying paradox: a surge in the number of degrees that is not matched by the availability of relevant jobs for graduates.
This phenomenon of educated unemployment is not merely a market absorption issue; it is a systemic failure to uphold the competency standards aligned with each educational level. To date, the ‘Link and Match‘ concept remains largely rhetorical, lacking concrete legal frameworks and effective policy drafts. Without firm regulation and genuine synchronisation between curricula and industry needs, our educational institutions risk becoming mere ‘diploma mills’ that continuously produce formal unemployment.
Learning-expectation disconnect
The fundamental problem lies not in a lack of intent, but in the ambiguity of the policy drafts circulated so far. To date, curriculum synchronisation efforts have been sporadic and have failed to address the core competency standards required at each level. Consequently, a disconnect exists between academic learning and real-world expectations.
Without a compelling and binding legal umbrella for all stakeholders—both educational institutions and the industrial sector—the promise of ‘Link and Match’ will remain trapped in a vacuum.
A fatal flaw in the current ‘Link and Match’ discourse is its narrow definition, limited only to the relationship between education and the private industrial sector (Dunia Usaha dan Dunia Industri or DUDI). In reality, the spectrum of competency absorption is much broader, encompassing the domain of government bureaucracy (both local and national), major NGOs, and strategic research institutions like Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional (BRIN).
Every course in various majors and specialisations should be designed as a ‘competency bridge’ specifically tailored to the real needs of these diverse sectors.
Stopping the ‘diploma mill’
As a practical solution, a breakthrough is needed at the instructional level. Lecturers must no longer work in academic isolation. They must actively build networks and collaborate with external parties, both within and beyond the industrial sector. This integration must involve the bureaucracy, national bodies, and international organisations such as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations (UN), or the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), tailored to the specific field of each course.
By involving practitioners from these institutions in curriculum formulation and the teaching process, students will gain exposure to competencies that meet global standards and contemporary public governance needs.
Untangling the knot of educated unemployment demands structural, systemic, and massive change. A strong legal umbrella is required to bind all stakeholders into one grand vision of human capital development. This transformation must ensure that every degree issued is a true reflection of tested and recognised competency across sectors.
Only through the courage to undertake such a systemic overhaul can Indonesia stop being a ‘diploma mill’ and begin its transformation into a global hub for superior, competent talent.
Dr. Aries Musnandar is an expert in Soft Skills and Human Capital Development. He is a researcher and lecturer at the Postgraduate School of Universitas Raden Rahmat (UNIRA) Malang, with over 20 years of professional experience in MNCs and a decade in academia. He has authored hundreds of scientific and popular articles published in national and international journals and the mass media.