Every 2nd of May, Indonesia commemorates National Education Day as a form of expression of the important role of education in nation-building. Education is one of the important factors in determining the future of a country. Through education, we can open doors to progress, improve quality of life, and create social equality. Education is also key in creating a smart, creative, and competitive next generation.
However, challenges in the world of education are not small. Some of them are the problem of gaps in access to education, lack of quality education, and funding problems. Therefore, there needs to be a joint effort from various parties to continue to improve the quality and accessibility of education in Indonesia.
Seeing this, Petrokimia Gresik strives to take part in advancing education in Indonesia, some of which are through the Bestro program (Petrokimia Gresik Scholarship) and the Indonesian Young Farmer Scholarship. The Bestro Program is given to outstanding students in Gresik Regency who come from underprivileged families at the S1 (bachelor's degree) and SMA / SMK (High School/Vocational School) education levels, while the Indonesian Young Farmer Scholarship is given to vocational school students who majored in agriculture and its cognates in East Java with certain conditions that must be met.
In addition to the scholarship program, Petrokimia Gresik also supports the improvement of the quality of education in Indonesia by opening internship vacancies for final-year students or fresh graduates to learn about the business processes owned by Petrokimia Gresik. This internship program aims to prepare students to become a reliable and skilled workforce in the future. During the internship program, participants will be allowed to work in various work units, such as production, engineering, security, communication, health, and environment, as well as administrative and financial units. Participants will also be given structured training and learning supported by experts in their fields. The internship programs available at Petrokimia Gresik are divided into four paths, namely PMMB (Certified Student Internship Program), MBKM (Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka), Prakerin (Industrial Work Practice), Santri Internship Program, and regular internship programs.
The internship process that takes place is supported by the sophistication of technology that exists today. Petrokimia Gresik launched the Digital Learning Center (DLC) as a means of supporting the educational process so that the quality of existing resources is more qualified. Not only employees can use it as a learning tool, but interns are also given access to competency from this DLC. With DLC, interns do not need to come to the factory to do industrial work practices directly. They can get real internship experience through Enterprise University, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and 360 Plant Facility Learning.
Currently, DLC has been equipped with the Phonska museum which contains how to milestone Phonska fertilizer, how to make it, and then the tools and technology used to accelerate the course of production when Phonska fertilizer is made as additional learning material. The Phonska Museum was inaugurated right on its 50th anniversary as a manifestation of the historical moment that Petrokimia Gresik is the first NPK fertilizer pioneer company in Indonesia.
Not only for students or students, Petrokimia Gresik through the Zakat Management Unit (UPZ) Baznas also provides educational care by equipping 1,000 teachers of the Qur'an Education Park (TPQ) in
Gresik. TPQ teachers are trained to develop better teaching skills, as well as to be given a deeper understanding of religion and Islamic values. In this case, UPZ Baznas Petrokimia Gresik collaborates with several educational and religious institutions in Gresik to work together to form a more competent quality of TPQ teacher resources.
Petrokimia Gresik's contribution is expected to help produce a more qualified next generation by improving the quality of teachers and contributing to providing easy accessibility to education. In addition, this program is also expected to provide wider benefits for the community, especially to increase understanding and practice of religious values.
Through education, we also contribute to nation-building. Hopefully, with the same spirit, we can advance education in Indonesia and create a superior next generation. Happy National Education Day!
