JEMBER – Politeknik Negeri Jember (Polije) is strengthening applied education through collaboration with Swisscontact. The collaboration is carried out through the Skills for Competitiveness (S4C) project with support from SECO.

The program encourages Polije to align applied education with industry needs. At the same time, Polije is strengthening its institutional capacity to ensure the program can continue independently.

Head of Economic Cooperation and Development at SECO, Violette Ruppanner, said the program provides benefits for both parties. She hopes the collaboration will produce valuable and sustainable projects.

“SECO’s support provides value and benefits for both parties. Through the projects we implement, we want to ensure that this collaboration delivers meaningful and valuable outcomes,” Violette said.

Polije Vice Director for Cooperation and Public Relations, Agung Wahyono, S.P., M.Si., Ph.D., said SECO and S4C also support staff and curriculum development.

“The involvement of SECO and S4C provides support for staff development and projects. The program also supports curriculum development to ensure alignment with industry needs,” Agung said.

The program covers governance strengthening, Teaching Factory (TEFA) development, and capacity building for industry supervisors and internship coordinators. Polije is also strengthening learning tools such as digital logbooks, training materials, student worksheets, and Problem-Based Learning (PBL) modules.

Furthermore, Polije is expanding the structured internship model across various study programs. Polije is also developing campus waste management through stronger collaboration with local governments.

The collaboration between Polije and Swisscontact encourages the institution to manage the programs independently after the project support ends. This effort strengthens Polije’s institutional capacity and graduates’ readiness to enter the workforce.