The phenomenon of Industry 4.0 accompanied by the COVID-19 pandemic has shocked the world community, including the world of vocational education. The challenge facing vocational education globally is to align learning programmes with the high demand for skills in industry, whilst narrowing the gap to industrial needs in educational institutions.  Since 2019, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics industry has increased its income compared to other industries. This is a great opportunity for logistics vocational education to prepare students with the requisite skills that the logistics industry is looking for. This requires an upgraded curriculum, updated methods and tools for learning programmes that correspond to the skills needed by the logistics industry. This study aims to capture the skills needed by the logistics industry. However, the purpose of vocational education/Vocational High School (SMK) is to prepare graduates who are ready to work and have skills according to the needs and demands of the industry. These skills cannot be prepared in a short space of time, particularly as changes in the industrial world occur rapidly and massively. SMK must be able to answer the challenges of industry through various innovations in preparing graduates who are skilled and highly competitive in the logistics industry.

Keywords: Logistics Industry, Skills Worker, Vocational Education

1        Introduction

Vocational education is an institution that aims to prepare graduates to enter and compete in the industrial market. In Indonesia, however, vocational education is the largest contributor to unemployment, starting from taxation for vocational education goals. Research in the Philippines came up with similar findings (Vandenberg & Laranjo 2020). Education does not necessarily lead to the intended outcomes for the labour market (Jules 2015; Temjanovski & Arsova 2020). On the demand side, an individual may pursue a course of study for which employers are not hiring. The jobseeker falls victim to what is known as a horizontal skills gap. On the supply side, the poor quality of education in terms of curriculum, facilities, or teaching, may result in very little learning actually taking place (Marinho & Delgado 2019). Employers may perceive that graduates have limited knowledge and few skills (Okolie et al. 2019; Temjanovski & Arsova 2020). Logistics is a progressive industry which accelerated and expanded during the pandemic conditions of 2020. The world became increasingly dependent on logistics in the midst of the pandemic era (Vandenberg & Laranjo 2020).

2        Study Focus and Methodology

This study aims to look at the competencies needed by the logistics industry and the role of vocational education (SMK) in preparing graduates according to the needs of the logistics industry. The method used in this study is qualitative research with a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) approach involving SMK, the logistics industry, and curriculum experts. The FGD used implementation guidelines that were prepared prior to FGD. A review was carried out to clarify the research findings of the study and highlight certain ideas. Meeting the challenge outlined above involves optimizing the readiness of Logistics Vocational School graduates with vocational learning concepts that are relevant to the needs of the logistics industry.

3        Overview Logistics Skills Industry Needed

Logistics engineering is a professional engineering discipline which deals with integration support in design and development, testing and evaluation, production, construction, operation, maintenance, and, ultimately, disposal/recycling of systems and equipment. Logistics management plans, implements, and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow and storage of goods, services, and related information between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet customer’s requirements in the supply chain (Vandenberg & Laranjo 2020). Logistics, especially in the field of education, is currently not accommodating the needs of industry, as demonstrated in earlier research in the United States (Hughes et al. 2017). In the competitive global economy, there will be increasing demand for highly qualified workers to create efficient industrial logistics systems (Truong & McColl 2011; Waller 2012).

Logisticians analyze and coordinate an organization’s supply chain – the system that moves a product from supplier to consumer (Ellinger & Ellinger 2014). They manage the entire life cycle of a product, which includes how a product is acquired, allocated, and delivered. Logisticians typically manage a product’s life cycle from design to disposal, direct the allocation of materials, supplies, and products, develop business relationships with suppliers and clients, understand clients’ needs and how to meet them, review logistical functions and identify areas for improvement, propose strategies to minimize the cost or time required to transport goods (Goffnett et al. 2012). Logisticians oversee activities that include purchasing, transportation, inventory, and warehousing. They may direct the movement of a range of goods, people, or supplies, from common consumer goods to military supplies and personnel. Logisticians use software systems to plan and track the movement of products (Graca et al. 2015). They operate software programmes designed specifically to manage logistical functions, such as procurement, inventory management, and other supply chain planning and management systems. Research has identified logistician skills that vocational students would need to prepare them for work in the logistics industry. These are shown in Table 1.

Table 1: Logistician Skills Needed

Table 1 presents a list of logistician skills needed in the logistics industry (from earlier research). People who aim to work in the logistics industry should include these skills in their preparation. The Vocational School (SMK) seeks to help students prepare their skills to become proficient logisticians and meet the demands of the logistics industry. Some skills take longer to acquire and involve lengthier spells in practical situations beyond formal education.

4        Vocational Education (SMK) to prepare Logistics Skills

In many countries, distinct systems of TVET and academically oriented education operate side by side, often with different rules for quality assurance, funding, staffing, credits, and qualifications (Leon & Uddin 2016). On a programme level, it is often harder to distinguish between TVET and academic education, as they both employ similar approaches to teaching, with the same generic aims and methods (Partida 2014). A traditional view of educational systems conflates knowledge development with academically oriented education and skills development within TVET. However, academically oriented education is increasingly expected to show direct relevance to the labour market, while skills development is not just limited to technical knowledge and aptitude, but increasingly focusses on ‘softer’ skills such as communication, digital and media literacies, critical thinking, negotiation, and teamwork. In such a context, it is useful to think of the role of digital transformation in skills systems which involve multi-stakeholder partnerships breaking down competencies into discrete units that are learned, practised, and developed in a lifelong context across formal education, employment, and personal life. Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) is preparing in every global aspect to function as a bridge between institutional education and industry to supply and demand. In Indonesia, SMK is one of the formal TVETs that prepare students to work in industry. International Labour Organization (ILO) has outlined the TVET system in Figure 1.

Figure 1 presents a collaboration between government, non-government, professional associations, TVET institutions, and communities. Building TVET skills needs multi-stakeholder involvement. The logistics field is a new field of TVET in Indonesia, where SMK and some non-formal TVETs such as Badan Latihan Kerja (BLK) have prepared logistics TVET. SMK has looked at how to prepare a curriculum, methodology and collaborations between SMK and industry. Students need some form of recognized certification to prepare them for the logistics industry. Some SMKs have prepared their own certification. In the logistics sector, figure 1 shows it is important to prepare students’ skills or competitive capabilities through collaboration of government, non-government, the ICT sector and business sector, thus building quality education for learners and teachers with support from families and communities. Collaboration with the ICT sector and certification can be done via E-Certification to assess certain skills (Samara 2021).

5        Collaborative Learning Between Vocational Education and Logistics Industries

TVET must get closer to industry in general and, for the purposes of this study, to logistics industries in particular., Many activities in logistics industries are developed through digitalization, like learning, working, purchasing, etc. TVET should prepare a way to bridge the gap between TVET institutions and industries. In the pandemic era, TVET is compelled by the situation to optimize technology in many areas. A clearer picture of how collaboration between TVET and industries can work is presented in Figure 2.

The collaboration of TVET and industries requires optimization of technology to bridge the gap. Online platforms can be used jointly without constraints of time or place (Bag, Gupta, & Luo 2020). Figure 2 shows that more online platforms help TVET institutions to provide  learning experience with industries (Albashiry et al. 2015; Alipour & Newton 2019). Hands on-practice, learning by watching, learning by doing, and learning by trial and error are four activities that can be conducted online. The pandemic era has seen an acceleration of learning activities with greater use of applications, online platforms, and other technology to support them. Tools are key to reaching learning goals and the pandemic has led to increased use of technology to solve problems in TVET such as distance or time. Innovative approaches (Ahmed et al. 2020), as presented in figure 3, can solve problems like reinforcing links between TVET institutions and industries. Collaboration is an answer to most problems and gaps in TVET and logistic industries. Figures 3 and Figure 4 explore collaboration in more detail.

Based on figure 3, collaboration between TVET and industries is one of the keys to developing a TVET curriculum that matches industrial demand. Collaboration is also a good way to collect more information on what industry needs (Ayonmika et al. 2015). Demands on workers in the field are high, especially for the vocational graduate, but certification in Indonesia does not mean the path to work is straightforward (Bekri, R. M, et.al. 2015; Boateng, C 2012). The authors conducted discussions with several experts in the logistics field as a further step of research. These discussions highlighted competencies and certifications that would be needed to support the opening of opportunities for Vocational High School graduates in the field of logistics engineering and help them to compete in the world of work (Adimas et al. 2021).

Figure 3 shows that each level of industry must collaborate with TVET institutions like SMK. To bridge the gap between industries and TVET institutions and to provide better service for both sides, logistic industries should collaborate with TVET or SMK on programmes to support teachers and students. Industries could also get more involved in the curriculum and learning activities. One of SMK’s goals is to prepare students to work in logistic industries. These industries have comprehensive lists of skills for logistic workers. How to structure effective collaboration is a big question, but it is not a hard question to answer. Technology has helped us to answer some questions already and today it is possible to increase collaborative activities simultaneously across different locations, some quite remote from each other. This will enable students to access authentic information from logistic industries. Training/internships help students gain experience, experts from logistic industries can support us as supervisors or mentors in learning activities. Key to this collaboration is an updated TVET curriculum that addresses supply and demand between TVET and logistic industries. Further details are shown in Figure 4.

Logistics experts state that basic science and basic engineering are the main foundations before learning more about logistics engineering (Rosina et al. 2021). Logistics practitioners noted that certification would bring added value for graduates as confirmation that their competencies had been tested through a validated process (Chan Lin, L.-J. & Hung, W.-H.,2015).  Certification examiners agreed that graduates will be better equipped and prepared for work if they have a diploma and certificate in the form of competency test results from the certification process. Certification examiners for Vocational High School graduates added that graduates with certificate of competence would have a competitive advantage in industry over graduates who do not take a certification test for competency.

Besides certification in the TVET curriculum, a collaboration between figure 2 and table 1 would also serve to prepare student’s skills. It is important for TVET students to have the full list of logistician skills at their disposal. This study explores vocational education collaboration with industries to develop a curriculum, whilst involving industries in learning activities as supervisors, partners, and teachers. Technology can bridge the gap for vocational education, overcoming challenges of time and place. Online and offline training methods are deployed in most industries. This is conducive to building effective collaboration between vocational education and logistics industries. TVET institutions have adopted technology in learning processes more rapidly during the pandemic, as shown in figure 2. More applications can be used for learning activities. In the future, guidelines must be developed to determine the right methods for TVET learning – working towards positive output and outcomes for practical, cognitive and affective aspects such as good attitude, communication and work skills. TVET institutions such as SMK must embrace innovation to optimize TVET learning output and outcomes to face the challenges posed by the fast-moving logistic industries challenges and the rapidly evolving skills they demand. Vocational education can prepare TVET students with the requisite skills to become efficient workers in logistic industries. Some problems can be solved by technology and positive collaboration between TVET institutions and logistic industries. Working together, they can build TVET systems that address the supply and demand of logistics industries. This supports TVET’s mission to produce competent graduates who can work in logistics industries, and help logistics industries improve their services with an inflow of talented workers. Governmental collaboration with TVET and logistics industries will boost the economic sector and potentially reduce unemployment numbers.

6        Conclusion

To conclude, the author sees collaboration as a means to prepare vocational education (SMK) with the means to answer the needs of logistics industries. It is not easy to become a good logistician, so vocational education should intensify collaboration to address the list of skills that logistic industries expect their workforce to possess. Using technology to link up participants can benefit the collaborative process. Learning activities can take place online and offline, with greater flexibility in the event of unexpected conditions. Technology can support learning through observation, action or hands-on practical tasks. Involving logistics industries in SMK learning activities is one of the successful keys to answering logistics demand and corresponds to SMK’s goal to prepare students for work in the industry. Most of the skills on the list are soft skills that cannot be prepared in a short space of time, so SMK or TVET institutions must optimize collaboration between TVET and logistic industries with technological solutions for learning activities.

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Employability skills consist of both technical and non-technical skills which are demanded in the world of work. TVET prepares prospective workers who will execute important duties and tasks in industry and business. The mismatch in numbers of trainees in vocational training institutions and placement or internship vacancies available in Indonesia’s industries and businesses is worrisome. The difficulties encountered by vocational trainees in finding an internship opportunity is unsustainable in that some graduates might leave vocational training institutions without possessing market demanded skills. The Teaching Factory Model is a fitting pedagogical approach for training and education. This study focused on the development of employability skills in vocational high school students through the teaching factory model. Teaching factory is one of the work-based learning models in which students learn marketable skills. The research design used in this study was based on congruent triangulation. Three types of employability skills, namely communication, problem-solving, and teamwork were studied. The study results revealed that trainee students can obtain employability skills through various approaches. It was found that work-based learning is fundamental in skills development when vocational training institutions train more interns than what can be absorbed by both industry and business.

Keywords: Employability Skills, Work Based Learning, Teaching Factory, Vocational Education School Students

1 WBL as Basic for Teaching Factory

Debates about changes in work and skills needed in the era of industrial 4.0 seem to have a higher meaning than other aspects (Pinzone et al. 2017). Industry 4.0’s biggest challenge is not only about technology but also about human resources. A new strategic approach is needed to improve human resources (Hecklau et al. 2016). This modern condition enables vocational education to be more responsive in transforming the development of human resources and work (McGrath & Powell 2016). Vocational education is considered as a systemic integration of the interaction between education and work, so as to enable graduates to compete in the labor market (Kamasheva et al. 2016). The discrepancy between the competencies of graduates prepared and the industry required competencies is a matter of the inability of educational institutions to simultaneously transform with the labour market (Osmani et al. 2015). The outstanding unemployment rate of vocational school graduates in Indonesia compared to general education pathway graduates shows that there are high gaps in graduates (BPS 2018). The unemployment rate according to the highest education level completed is shown in Figure 1.

 Figure 1:        Unemployment rate according to the highest level of education completed in Indonesia(BPS 2018)

The high unemployment rate is caused by various factors. The effects of education expansion policy (Xing, Yang & Li 2018), mistakes in choosing an institution (Oluwajodu et al. 2015), and the lack of valuable training skills for the local and global labor market are factors that cause youth unemployment (Moses & Wibawa 2016). The identification of competencies needed for each job needs to be handled by human resource developers, so that individual prerequisites can be prepared properly (Hecklau et al. 2016). A series of training programs concerning these problems are provided in classrooms and workplaces currently with support from the government in an effort to increase labor productivity (Allen 2016). Preparing prospective workers for needed competencies that can improve work capacity is the main goal of labor preparation education through the arrangement of Work-Based Learning (WBL) (Feldmann & Sprafke 2016). The availability of skilled workers as an input to the labor market can increase production or productivity in a higher magnitude than the associated increase in wages of the employees (Konings 2008). 

WBL is a learning model that requires students to directly gain experience through work, and training in the industry (Watisin, Ismail & Hashim 2015; Kis 2016). The implementation of WBL refers to learning that occurs through real effort (Sweet 2013). The main feature of the WBL is the collaborative relationship between educational institutions and external organizations or community practices that can specifically provide encouragement in learning (Garnett 2016). Another feature is flexibility that allows educational institutions to respond and adapt quickly to changes in the labor market (Roberts, Fintel & Brown 2013). This condition provides an opportunity for students to have the ability to adjust to the work environment by being faced with reality so that it helps in making career choices (Ismaila et al. 2015). Students are independently trained in order to position themselves, act independently, and behave professionally (Christensen et al. 2017).  

The various forms and strategies of WBL implementation includes action on learning, career devices, continuous professional development, internship, mentoring networks and communities, qualification, self managed learning and team development (Cunningham & Dawes 2016). Various forms of WBL range from bringing in schools guest teachers, industry visits, job training, to competitive work which is a level of optimization of world cooperation with educational institutions. The different levels of WBL are presented in Figure 2. 

Figure 2:        Forms of WBL (Cunningham & Dawes 2016)

The steps above show the difference in the level of career achieved, from career awareness, career exploration, to career implementation. The higher the level of WBL implementation, the higher career awareness obtained by students. WBL ranges from work visits or shadow jobs to competitive jobs in career categories and technical education that provide experience in the workforce. The approach used in WBL includes learning experiences that create meaningful structures and students can realize them through participation in individual experiences. One concept of WBL dealing with these levels of WBL and that is applied and developed in Indonesia is the teaching factory model. 

The basic concept of Teaching Factory is “Factory to Classroom” which aims at transferring the production conditions in the industry significantly to the learning environment, e.g. vocational schools so that it is aligned between learning approach/situation and expected labor market needs (Chryssolouris et al. 2016). The Teaching Factory works as an interface between the vocational education and the job market. The Teaching Factory model helps to examine and balance the vocational education and maintain its relevance and adequacy to labor market needs. Increasing students’ hard skills and soft skills in terms of the WBL concept can be optimized by implementing the Teaching Factory (Martawijaya 2012). The teaching factory has a strategic value in vocational education and training while it increases the competitiveness of vocational school graduates in the labor market, because it has a mechanism to keep up with the rapid development of the industry and also an educational aspect namely work-process-orientated learning so that graduate competencies are highly valued.  

The literature findings indicate that employers value employees with communication skills, problem-solving skills, and collaboration skills. These three skills include a list of important work skills needed by the industry (Yusof et al. 2012; Rasul et al. 2013; Lapiņa & Ščeulovs 2014; Buntat et al. 2013; Suleman 2016). Employability skills are the main basic skills needed to get a good and decent job category (Robinson & Garton 2010). Achieving employability skills must be a concern for human resource developers because it is closely related to the ability to get a job, maintain a job, and develop a career in the workplace (Fugate, Kinicki & Ashforth 2004). 

This study aims to propose an ideal WBL-Teaching Factory model in order to improve students’ employability skills in bread production. The employability skill indicator of communication, problem-solving, and teamwork skills is determined to facilitate the researcher in making measurements. 

2 Research Method 

Mixed research methods were used in this study. The research design used was concurrent triangulation. Qualitative data was collected by interviewing teaching factory instructors, while quantitative data was collected by observation and assessment of performance in students. The three Agribusiness competency skills vocational schools that have implemented the WBL-Teaching Factory learning on bread production were chosen as the research targets, namely SMK Negeri 1 Cibadak, SMK Negeri 1 Pacet, and SMK Negeri 2 Subang. Respondents of this study were vocational school students who were studying how to make bread products using the WBL – Teaching Factory model, and the Teaching Factory model instructor. A total of 60 students were considered to identify the increasing of students’ employability skills as learning outcomes. Assessment of increasing employability skills was carried out periodically using performance assessment. 75 items presented at the performance assessment include communication skills, problem-solving skills, and teamwork skills. Communication skills, problem-solving skills, and teamwork skills are explained in the indicators. Indicators of communication skills are reading skills, writing skills, numeracy skills, listening skills, speaking skills, and serving customer skills. Indicators of problem-solving skills are work safety skills, skills in managing facilities, decision-making skills, and learning how to learn skills. Indicators of team work skills are involvement as members, teach group friends, lead group friends, and work in different cultures. Each indicator is explained, and developed into an analytical rubric as a measuring instrument used. 

The implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory regarding to the seventh level at each vocational school was analyzed by semi-structured interviews with teaching factory instructors. Explored aspects include learning planning, applying classroom learning, applying factory learning, implementing production processes, product marketing, and evaluating the implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory model. The similarities and differences in the implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory model at each school were identified. The result of the identification was compared with the result of measuring the employability skills of students to find out the learning stage of the WBL-Teaching Factory which contributed to the improvement of student employability skills.  

3 Result and Discussion 

3.1 Implementation of WBL-Teaching Factory Model 

The development of the ideal WBL-Teaching Factory model began with the study of the learning field of the WBL-Teaching Factory on bread products. The researcher made an analysis and identified different ways of learning, therefore different improvement of employability skills and compared it with how far the WBL-Teaching-Factory concept is recognizable in each school. An interesting learning pattern has been found in three vocational schools, namely differences in the implementation of WBL-Teaching Factory model in accordance with the situation and conditions. These differences in implementation contributed to improving different work skills, both communication skills, problem-solving skills, and collaboration skills. Student involvement, the condition of the learning environment, and the tutoring process could absolutely or partially improve work skills (Wu 2005). There were differences in the implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory model in three vocational schools, including program names, program implementation, block systems, socialization, mentoring processes, raw materials management, raw materials quality identification, production targets, product quality control, market segmentation, market partners, production partners, and evaluation. Differences have been found to influence the achievement of work skills in each vocational school. The differences in the implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory model are presented in Table 1. 

 Table 1:         Differences in the Implementation of the WBL-Teaching factory model 

The table above is the result of the final analysis of the interview process. Information about WBL-Teaching Factory implemented in each school was organized from transcripts to charts, then analyzed. Analysis process aims to make various decisions in the identification process. The final results found a framework/learning environment in three schools that became the basis for the development of WBL-Teaching Factory models to improve student employability skills. 

3.2 The WBL-Teaching Factory Model 

Figure 3:        Hypothetic WBL-Teaching Factory model

The research findings and analysis of the implementation of factory teaching in three vocational schools showed different characteristics of each school. This characteristic was interpreted as the strength of each vocational school, which was then used as the basis for the development of a hypothetical model of the WBL-Teaching Factory for improving work skills. The benefits found were adopted as a basis for developing teaching factories. Weakness is the basis of alternative solutions described in the development of teaching factories. 

Programs that are integrated with the curriculum have advantages that are quite useful, because they give students the opportunity to gain learning experiences in accordance with work situations. Learning opportunities through student participation guided directly by experienced practitioners are the needs offered by the school to teachers and students. In addition, school attention by providing opportunities to work in accordance with conditions in the workplace is very effective for the learning outcomes of the students. Strong collaboration between vocational and industrial education, can increase opportunities for students to get jobs (Sweet 2013). Another advantage is the existence of fixed standards in factory teaching or learning from raw material preparation to product distribution. This condition provides opportunities for students to think and solve problems in answering the demands of learning so that they are scientifically responsible. The hypothetic model of the WBL-Teaching Factory for improving employability skills is presented in Figure 3. In the following paragraphs the implementation of the different steps of the WBL-Teaching Factory will be explained. 

3.2.1 Curriculum Analysis 

The basic principle of the WBL-Teaching Factory model is the integration of work experience into the curriculum of the vocational school. Learning WBL-Teaching Factory facilitates students are directly involved in the production process. Therefore a real production situation is needed to improve student competence. A Curriculum analysis has been carried out to identify the needs of each skill competency that will apply the WBL-Teaching Factory model. This way of implementation of real work processes into the curriculum combines the concept of vocational education with business concepts in accordance with the skills competencies pursued. 

3.2.2 Preparation of the Block Schedule 

The block system is a grouping of effective learning hours in units of time and allows students to follow, and receive learning materials optimally. The division of schedule learning theory from practical learning in different locations, arranged well so that students have longer study time. The implementation of the block system in WBL-Teaching Factory learning is basically an effort to optimize learning resources such as curriculum, human resources, and infrastructure. The main characteristic of implementing the block system is continuous learning so that students get many benefits and reach the expected competencies. Preparation of the block schedule is prioritized to do more learning in the workshop, and theoretical learning in the classroom is adjusted to the learning schedule in the workshop. 

3.2.3 Socialization 

The socialization was carried out before the application of the WBL-Teaching Factory model, after block schedule preparation. The targets of the socialization of the WBL-Teaching Factory program are the management of vocational schools, parents of students, and partners of vocational schools. Socialization was conducted to gather support, as well as a means to promote the WBL-Teaching Factory program. The role of parents as a component of vocational schools needs to be optimized because it contributes to student learning outcomes. In addition, the culture of the community in the dissemination of information from person to person is considered effective enough to be implemented so that it can provide opportunities for market segment expansion, in addition to optimizing social media as a promotional media for products produced. 

3.2.4 Production Planning 

Production planning is not only done to determine the number of products and production time. Some elements that must be ensured in production planning are the number of production needs during the long and short term production planning period, availability of preparation standard operating procedures, process standard operating procedures, and results standard operating procedures, availability of laboratory facilities, availability of raw materials, survey of raw material prices, availability of HR laboratories, length production process, determination of product formulas, production targets, and production process characteristics. Production planning is carried out by management, at this stage students are not involved. This stage is quite important to implement because it is useful to compare production plans with implementation and facilitate actions when there are irregularities in the production process or results. 

3.2.5 Check Personal Hygiene Standards 

Personal hygiene is a procedure to maintain cleanliness in the management of safe and healthy foods to prevent contaminants sourced from processors. Some important procedures for food processors in applying personal hygiene standards are hand washing, hygiene, and personal health. Checking personal hygiene standards is included in the learning stage because if there are just a few workers in practice, in this case, who do not pay attention, there will be severe consequences for the quality of the products produced. 

3.2.6 Application of Healthy Safety Work 

Healthy safety work in the laboratory includes a part that has to be considered, because it has the potential to cause accidents. The highest number of work accidents in the industrial environment occurs, due to lack of attention to the healthy safety work aspect. The application of teaching or learning in factories based on real work procedures and standards is a reference for students to familiarize themselves with the culture and work attitude in the industry. Signing danger signs in the laboratory in the form of hazard labels in the form of images, hazard information, must be mastered by students. In addition, the use of personal protective equipment during the production process is mandatory at the time of production. Personal protective equipment that must be used at a minimum consists of practical clothing or laboratory coats, closed shoes, masks, gloves, and hats or headgear. The use of personal protective equipment is not only to familiarize industrial culture in learning, but as a form of anticipating and preventing the occurrence of workplace accidents in the laboratory. 

3.2.7 Raw Material Management 

Management of raw materials is important to maintain the smooth functioning of production. Management of raw materials includes scheduling the procurement of raw materials, costs needed for the procurement of raw materials, including if there are additional orders from customers. The involvement of students in managing raw materials, provides an opportunity to gain learning experience and real habituation in managing the components needed during production. Real management of raw materials by students, can be done by making notes about receipts and use of materials. For production purposes, the use of raw materials from the storage area applies the first in and out first method to adjust to the nature of the perishable material. 

3.2.8 Identification of Raw Material Quality 

Identification of the quality of raw materials contributes to the quality of the products produced. In teaching or learning in factories, procedures for identifying or examining the quality of raw materials carried out by students include physical examination and packaging of received raw materials, such as packaging integrity, leakage, suitability, expiration, and other physical damage. The raw materials used for production are materials that meet the standards. 

3.2.9 Production process 

The implementation of production stages in accordance with process standards includs critical points in factory teaching. At each stage of the production process has a tipping point that must be considered by practitioners. The production process contributes quite high to improving student work skills because there are quite a lot of process steps that must be completed. 

3.2.10 Product Quality Control  

The quality control process must be carried out during the production process, not only seeing the shape, color, and taste of the product. Product quality is determined by all stages of the process, because each stage has the potential to affect product quality. Some problems that often arise are raw materials that are not in accordance with the standard, the composition is not in accordance with the recipe, the raw material exceeds the expiration date, the limitations of production equipment, the process of maintaining the equipment is not good, the production process is not optimal, and non-standard power works. Continuously, product quality testing is done by looking at the shape, color, taste and packaging before being marketed. However, overall quality testing is carried out periodically in the form of sampling, namely by conducting organoleptic tests, proximate tests, sugar level tests, and quality tests. 

3.2.11 Product marketing 

Product marketing is related to the clarity of targets, market segments, and reach of order. Selection and determination of promotion methods, providing promotional media, and product samples, including marketing strategies that must be completed by students. Some activities that can be applied to improve product marketing are attractive packaging selection, product superiority compared to other products, competitive selling prices, and services provided to consumers. The implementation of factory teaching or learning at the marketing stage is integrated with entrepreneurial learning. 

3.2.12 Product distribution 

Product distribution is still included in marketing management. The minimum product distribution process consists of three main activities, namely selection activities, meeting activities, and exchange activities. Distribution systems carried out directly from producers in this case are students, to consumers. Communication skills, problem solving, and collaboration are dominant enough to be needed to complete the product distribution phase. 

3.2.13 Compilation of Production Reports 

Preparation of production reports is carried out by students after applying factory teaching or learning. Preparation of production reports consists of reporting the use of raw materials, implementing production processes, quality control, and product marketing, including financial statements. The habit of preparing reports provides opportunities for students to convey information in writing about the stages of the process being carried out, and related to the theories that have been studied before. 

4 Conclusion 

The WBL-Teaching Factory learning model was implemented in accordance with real work procedures and standards, which are based on experience and student-centered. The implementation of WBL-Teaching Factory in vocational schools is important because it is a didactic concept for the development of employability skills and can create an interface between school and industry. Therefore, the main components in the implementation of the WBL-Teaching Factory must be a concern, such as student competence, teachers as a benchmark in implementing learning in accordance with industry needs, and school management as a stimulator of institutional performance. The model developed consists of 15 stages. The stages of curriculum analysis have been carried out by Teaching Factory management. Full involvement of students started from the implementation stage of safety work up to the preparation of production reports. At each stage, optimizing the involvement of students, learning about the methods and possibilities within the learning environment, and continuous tutoring contributes to the improvement of student work skills. This model can be a reference for the development of the WBL-Teaching Factory in other competencies that are adapted to the national work competency standards and emphasize the improvement of students’ employability skills at each stage.  

5 Implication 

The hypothetical model of the WBL-Teaching Factory to improve student work skills were found as a result of research, especially in the competence of agribusiness expertise. This hypothetical model can be used as a reference by factory teaching management to optimize the learning process and recommendations for curriculum development in integrating improved work skills in learning assessment. Evaluation of the model of WBL-Teaching Factory in vocational schools needs to be planned as further research. This evaluation must be carried out periodically and continuously so that it can develop properly. The measurement instruments for employability skills are also not yet maximally developed in other competencies. This condition provides an opportunity for researchers to be able to develop it.  

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Citation

Subekti, S., Ana, A., Barliana, M. S., Khoerunnisa, I., Dwiyanti, W. & Saripudin, S. (2019). Work-Based Learning-Teaching Factory in Indonesia as a Model to Increase Employability Skills In: TVET@Asia, issue 13, 1-17. Online: http://www.tvet-online.asia/issue13/subekti_tvet13.pdf (retrieved 30.06.2019).