Workshop Series on Developing Negotiation Skills and Building Partnerships in Tourism Vocational Schools and the World Tourism Industry
Writer: Adrianus Ubas, Programme Officer Field Office Sumba
Editor: Firra Kholisha Mustika, Communication
Vocational High Schools (SMK) need cooperation with the business world and the industrial world (DUDI). SMK is a vocational education institution organized to prepare students to have competencies according to industry needs, with the aim that they are ready to enter the workforce and develop professional attitudes in certain fields. To build cooperation and partnerships as well as human resources, SMK must have the ability to negotiate in order to produce mutually beneficial agreements for both parties.
The ability to negotiate is a very important soft skill and is needed by all parties in building, establishing and developing long-term partnerships. Negotiation processes are either carried out face to face or face to face. This process pays attention to (1) attitude, use of language or vocabulary in speaking; (2) speech intonation; (3) gesture or body language. A good negotiation process is determined by understanding and knowledge regarding the parties invited to communicate.
Realizing how important and urgent it is how to negotiate and establish cooperation, the DESMA Center held a workshop on May 20, 2023 at Neru Loko, Waikabubak with the theme Developing Negotiation Skills and Building Partnerships between Vocational Schools and the Industrial World.
This workshop was attended by school principals and teachers of DESMA Center assisted schools, namely SMKN 1 Waikabubak and SMKS Efata Omba Rade. Representatives of the participants are selected by the school management who will represent the school as negotiators with various parties. Also present were Mrs. Adriana M.D. Ngongo, S.Pd., M.Pd.K., Coordinator of Supervisors (Korwas) SMA/SMK/SLB Prov. NTT – West Sumba Regency, principal and secretary of the Travel Business Department (UPW) from SMKN 2 Lamboya.
The speaker for this activity was Mr. Boyke Hutapea, B.S., M.B.A., Program Manager of the DESMA Center – Field Office Sumba. This activity is divided into three sessions. The first session, delivery of material including the objectives of the negotiation, principles and types of negotiators to be met.
In the second session, the speakers invited each school to share their experiences in negotiating and building partnerships with industry, both successful and unsuccessful experiences. Through this sharing, participants are encouraged to identify problems that have an impact on success or failure.
Schools often fail to establish relationships or drop out of school cooperation with industry because of weak agreements that are built. Therefore, the DESMA Center encourages one of the negotiations that have been mutually agreed upon by the two parties to be made in the form of a written agreement, with the aim of not having doubts and the period of cooperation can take place according to the written agreement.
In the third session, participants played a role (role play) to practice discipline when entrusted by schools to establish cooperation and partnerships with industry. With this workshop, it can be a basis for schools to develop negotiating skills.
The Workshop Series on Developing Negotiation Skills and Building Partnerships Between Vocational High Schools and the Industrial World are part of Program TVET for Sustainable Tourism Development in Sumba implemented by the DESMA Center.
_____________
The TVET Program for Sustainable Tourism Development in Sumba is supported by MISEREOR/KZE; implemented by the DESMA Center. Strengthening Tourism HR Capacity aims to realize "The tourism vocational school education program in Sumba so that it meets the needs and requirements of the tourism industry, thereby offering better job opportunities for young people and supporting sustainable tourism in Sumba."
This program includes strengthening (1) the management capacity of tourism vocational schools that are in line with the independent curriculum and the concept of sustainable tourism; (2) Teacher capacity in pedagogical knowledge, about sustainable teaching and tourism (3) Tourism Industry Vocational Vocational School Partnership; and (4) the entrepreneurial capacity of students in creating sustainable tourism businesses.
The direct beneficiaries of this program are (1) SMK Pancasila – Tambolaka, Southwest Sumba; (2) State Vocational School 2 Tambolaka City, Southwest Sumba; (3) Bakti Luhur Vocational School – Tambolaka, Southwest Sumba; (4) Efata Vocational School - Omba Rade, Southwest Sumba; and (5) SMK Negeri 1 Waikabubak, West Sumba. The direct partners of this program are (1) the Office of Education & Culture of East Nusa Tenggara Province; (2) Southwest Sumba Regency Government; (3) West Sumba Regency Government; (4) Tourism Office of Southwest Sumba Regency; and (5) West Sumba Regency Tourism Office.
