Surabaya Mayor Dr (HC) Ir Tri Rismaharini MT (right in white shirt) with ITS leaders and PT PAMA opened the PEXI Launching ceremony at ITS.

ITS Campus, ITS News – As the time goes by, the industrial world now requires innovative and qualified employee as their competencies. To make this happen, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) collaborated with a mining company, PT Pamapersada Nusantara (PAMA) to launch the Pama Exclusive Internship Program (PEXI) at the ITS Robotics Center Building, Tuesday (25/2).

With the theme of Educated and Competitive Human Resources in the Era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0, this event was also presented Surabaya Mayor Dr. (HC) Ir Tri Rismaharini MT as the speaker. In her remarks, she really appreciated the program.

Surabaya Mayor Dr (HC) Ir Tri Rismaharini MT as one of the keynote speaker in the PEXI Lauching at the Robotics Center ITS

The mayor with a myriad of international awards also claimed that she, as the representative of Surabaya City Government (Pemkot) was ready to accept various forms of cooperation with ITS, especially if it’s related to the apprenticeship program and workers recruitment. Because from 21,000 Civil Servants (PNS) in the Surabaya City Government who were recruited before, now there are only less than 12,000 employees.

“The comparison is now 1,885 people only served by one civil servant. We (Surabaya City Government, red) actually need comemployees and supporting technology,” continued the winner of the World’s Best Mayor Award in 2014 from citymayors.com.

Risma continued, in order to have competent competence, students must be: remain diligent with things they pursue, dare to take solutive steps, and respect others.

“I always learn from anyone, from janitor to animals’ habit. Just like how an ant tries to survive and solve the problems it faces,” said the woman who was lined up to be a speaker at the United Nations (UN) session last September.

ITS Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng when giving a speech at the Launching of PEXI at the ITS Robotics Center Building

Meanwhile, ITS Chancellor Prof. Dr. Ir Mochamad Ashari MEng, in his remarks said that this internship program was in accordance with ITS vision until 2025, as an Entrepreneurial University. With this vision, this program is aligned with ITS target to produce scientists, experts, entrepreneurs, or print products for the wider community.

“In ITS vision, there is one main keyword, namely innovation. That must be developed in order to reach world class university and be able to contribute to national development,” said the Professor in ITS Electrical Engineering Department.

Related to the internship program, continued the chancellor, it is in line with one point of the Kampus Merdeka program issued by the Ministry of Education and Culture (Kemendikbud), namely the granting the students to take a learning off campus for three semesters or around 60 Semester Credit Units (SKS).

“Suppose that an internship in a company does not need to apply for leave, but later it will be equivalent to SKS in related fields of study,” said the lecturer born in Sidoarjo.

In line with Ashari, Human Capital General Services (HCGS) and Safety Health Environment (SHE) Director of PT PAMA Ari Sutrisno said, one of the reasons PT PAMA chose ITS as a launching place was because of the ability of ITS students who were considered qualified in their fields.

Furthermore, Ari revealed, ITS students were considered to have a high work ethic and a good scientific approach. “This was proven when we (PT PAMA, red) worked together to manage waste with the ITS Environmental Engineering Department back then, and the result was ITS placed as the second highest loyalty rate of 83 percent,” said Ari.

HCGS and SHE Director of PT Pamapersada Nusantara (PAMA) Ari Sutrisno when giving a speech at the PEXI Lauching at the Robotics Center Building ITS

Meanwhile, as the last speaker, ITS Electrical Engineering Professor, Prof. Dr. Achmad Jazidie MEng, added that not only students must develop, but universities also need to develop. With new policies and programs, universities must be able to analyze and develop an appropriate curriculum.

“As in the internship program which becomes equivalent with the courses, universities must arrange the appropriate curriculum, whatever subjects or courses are related to the field,” said the lecturer who is also trusted as the Chancellor of the University of Nahdlatul Ulama Surabaya (Unusa).

In addition to educational seminars, the activity was closed with Stand-Up Comedy as entertainment at the end of the event. Containing interesting and educative sub-events around the world of work, this event succeeded in presenting more than one hundred ITS students who were dominantly final semester students. (mad/ITS HUMAS)

Photo with Surabaya Mayor Dr (HC) Ir Tri Rismaharini MT (white shirt) with ITS officials and PT Pamapersada Nusantara