With the aim of supporting the development of Forest Management Units (FMUs), the Centre of Forestry Education and Training (CFET) in collaboration with GIZ FORCLIME organized a workshop for principals and teachers of forestry vocational schools (SMK Kehutanan) on 7 – 9 May in Makassar, South Sulawesi. The purpose of the workshop was to improve the quality of training implementation at SMK Kehutanan towards FMU development. The workshop was attended by 90 participants representing 20 public and private SMK Kehutanan, under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF), and the Ministry of Education and Culture (MoEC), respectively.

During the opening ceremony, the Director General of the Board of Education and Human Resources Development of Forestry (BP2SDM), Dr. Tahrir Fathoni, emphasized that the curriculum of SMK Kehutanan should be in line with the needs of the market. The method of education through e-learning at the SMK Kehutanan as an innovative tool for capacity development will continue to be developed, and subject related to entrepreneurship will be delivered to students. Hence, Dr Tahrir welcomes the current and future cooperation with FORCLIME on this topic.

Edy Marbyanto, representative from GIZ FORCLIME mentioned in his speech that the SMK Kehutanan is a competency-based education. FORCLIME will support the forestry vocational schools, especially with regard to improving the capacity of teachers to train qualified graduates by applying innovative training approaches and new training curricula/modules on important topics for FMU development. Edy suggested the MoEF, MoEC, and SMK Kehutanan developing join roadmap for guiding the forestry vocational school development in the next five years. Mrs Djimlan, the Head of Production Forest Management Unit (KPHP) of Boalemo, Gorontalo province, was convinced with the performance of graduates of the forestry vocational schools in his FMU. Moreover he said that forestry vocational graduates are quick and skilled workers. Meanwhile Mr Jumadi, the Head of Protected Forest Management Units (KPHL) Pohuwato, Gorontalo Province, expects to have more forestry vocational graduates working in the FMUs.

Additional topics discussed during the workshop included the 2013 Curriculum Policy with speakers from the Directorate of Vocational Schools Management, and the Centre for Developing Curriculum of the Ministry of Education and Culture. Under supervising of resource persons, participantsare successfully preparing learning manual plan of four forestry expertise, which then will be distributed to all SMK Kehutanan. To enhance knowledge on conservation forest management, all workshop’s participants were invited to visit the Bantimurung National Park in South Sulawesi, which famous as the center for butterflies breeding

For further information, please contact:

Edy Marbyanto, Strategic Area Manager for Human Capacity Development