The university programs in which young talents are interested have not changed, despite several new jobs that have appeared along with developments in technology and the Covid-19 pandemic.
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KOMPAS TEAM
·5 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
A supervisor checks the completeness of the participants for the Computer-Based Written Examination-Joint Selection for State Higher Education (UTBK-SBMPTN) at the Jakarta Veterans National Development University (UPN) in Depok, West Java, Monday (26/4/2021).
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – A total of 184,942 new students have been accepted through the 2021 State Universities Joint Entrance Exams (SBMPTN 2021) as of Monday (14/6/2021). Among the top 10 highest scores in the computer-based tests (UTBK), the young talents with the best academic potential who were accepted to universities entered concentrations that are in high demand among graduates of senior high schools and vocational schools.
According to the data of successful applicants with the highest SBMPTN 2021 scores in social sciences and humanities, the applicants were still scattered among the most popular study programs, such as law, management, psychology, communication, accounting, and international relations. The most popular science and technology study programs were chemical engineering, medical education, electrical engineering, and actuarial science.
Of the 777,858 applicants who took the computer-based test, the dominant study programs among prospective students were in social sciences and humanities (according to the UTBK or mixed test results), compared to prospective students who decided on concentrations in science and technology. In fact, there are more high school students in science compared to social studies or languages.
The Higher Education Statistics 2020 report also showed a tendency among students to pursue social sciences and humanities. The choices among new students were reportedly focused in education, economy, social, religion, and humanities programs. These were followed by science and technology programs, with the majority in engineering, health, and agriculture.
Ina Liem, an education and career planning expert at Jurusanku (jurusanku.com), said that Indonesian students still tended to choose conventional fields of study in seeking a sense of security. For example, the highest enrolment was in education programs, which was considered to have a large opportunity in becoming a civil servant.
KOMPAS/TOTOK WIJAYANTO
Rayhan, prospective students try to access information on the 2021 State Higher Education Entrance Joint Selection (SBMPTN) which was announced through the announcement site-sbmptn.ltmpt.ac.id at his home in the Pondok Aren area, South Tangerang, Banten, Monday (14/6/2021). ).
A student survey found that they generally felt it was important to get a secure job. As a matter of fact, changes continue to occur with the development of an innovation-based economy.
"Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people have shifted from high-paid jobs, such as [aircraft] pilots, into being organic farmers. A readiness to change must be instilled, so children can plan for the future,” said Ina.
Demand remains high for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), but supply is low because many students are comfortable with the social sciences or general STEM fields. In fact, the demand for data scientists and data analysts is high. The same applies to the health sector, which needs more than just doctors.
Labor shortages, such as in digital talents in the fields of artificial intelligence, big data, and cybersecurity, reach 600,000 vacancies per year. The need for workers is also high from the logistics to actuarial fields because these industries are growing rapidly.
According to founder CEO Rizky Muhammad of Rencanamu (rencanamu.id), among the 2.5 million senior high and vocational school students and equivalence students who visit academic and career planning platforms, the selection of academic fields is static and mainly based on what teachers and parents know. As a result, the career aspirations of young people in their choice of university study programs had not changed much, as illustrated in the choices of applicants to state universities.
Student choice of study programs is, in fact, met with complaints in the world of work, that it is difficult to find the required workforce. A 2015 report by the Asian Development Bank found that 52 percent of Indonesia\'s working population has substandard skills for their positions.
DOKUMENTASI PRIBADI
High school students from various regions unite in the WA Ambis Soshum PTN group to study together PTN entrance questions so they can face the SBMPTN written exam in April -May 2021.
Technological developments
The deputy rector for academic development at Bina Nusantara (Binus) University, Engkos Achmad Kuncoro, said the employment map was changing. A number of new technology jobs were emerging, such as social media managers and big data analysts, triggered by technological developments and the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to him, this has resulted in a change in the choice of study programs. He noted that the current favorites among Binus students were management and computer science.
The deputy rector for student affairs at Brawijaya University (UB) in Malang, Aulanni\'iam, said the most popular study program was science and technology, namely medicine, while law studies was the favorite in the social sciences and humanities.
"The UB campus is the campus with the highest interest among prospective students from a number of regions who took the SBMPTN 2021," she said.
The chairman of the Institution of University Entrance Exams (LTMPT), Mohammad Nasih, on Monday (14/6) at the virtual press conference for the SBMPTN 2021 results in Jakarta, said that the LTMPT would evaluate more detailed data to observe the program trends among the prospective students.
Nasih said that medical science was still the most popular in science and technology. However, prospective students were starting to look at the study programs needed by industry such as actuarial science, which had many career opportunities.
Many graduates end up working below their education level because they do not have the skills to match the needs of the world of work.
The higher education, science and technology director at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Tatang Muttaqin, said that in terms of policy and development direction, university study programs were growing closer to public needs, so the world of work would better absorb graduates. The increasing need for workers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics had been anticipated so study programs in these fields would grow, but the number of students majoring in these areas remained low.
Indonesia has a greater need for skilled manpower with degrees and diplomas from technical and vocational education institutions. However, more students are choosing undergraduate institutions. As a result, many graduates end up working below their education level because they do not have the skills to match the needs of the world of work. (ELN/SKA/DIA/HRS/IKI)
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