I encourage students throughout Indonesia, especially in the six Islamic boarding schools which are currently joining the Santripreneur Program, to become millennial students, that is, students who are able to produce well and master the developmentJakarta (ANTARA) - Islamic boarding schools have great potential to develop the national small and medium industry ecosystem, Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita has said.
"Islamic boarding schools also have the potential for economic empowerment, considering that many Islamic boarding schools have established cooperatives, developed various industrial business units, and have business incubators," he noted in a statement here on Thursday.
Since 2013, the ministry has actively coached thousands of students to help them become industrial entrepreneurs who can contribute to the national economy.
It also believes that Islamic boarding schools have strategic potential to be developed as places for thousands of new entrepreneurs to grow.
Besides the large number of students, Islamic boarding schools are also known to have the potential for economic empowerment led by students and boarding school administrators.
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According to data from the Religious Affairs Ministry, as of October 2021, the number of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia has been recorded at 35,093, with the total number of students pegged at 4,765,207.
Additionally, Islamic boarding schools are known as places that shape students and help them inculcate good characteristics, tenacity, honesty, and perseverance.
Students of this era must learn about things other than religious studies, such as entrepreneurship, so that in the future, that is after graduating, they can open their own businesses.
Since 2013, the Industry Ministry, through the Directorate General of Small, Medium, and Various Industries, has hosted the Santripreneur Program, which features various types of activities to support the development of new industrial entrepreneurs at Islamic boarding schools.
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The activities include providing technical guidance on production, assistance with machinery and equipment, mentoring of entrepreneurship materials, and digital marketing.
So far, as many as 10,199 students from 88 Islamic boarding schools across Indonesia have been provided such training.
"This facility is adjusted to the potential and needs of each (Islamic boarding school)," he said.
Citing an example, director general of small, medium, and various industries at Industry Ministry, Reni Yanita, said that in 2019, technical guidance was provided and assistance given for securing bread processing equipment to Mabadi'ul Ihsan Islamic boarding school, Banyuwangi district. The boarding school was operating a bread processing business unit.
Ever since the training, their production increased: the business unit, which was initially producing just 200 pieces of bread per day, was able to scale up production to 1,000 pieces of bread of many flavors every day, which were marketed through the Islamic boarding school and its surroundings.
"I encourage students throughout Indonesia, especially in the six Islamic boarding schools which are currently joining the Santripreneur Program, to become millennial students, that is, students who are able to produce well and master the development of digital technology in running their industrial business units, or who want I call it the Millennial Students 4.0," Yanita remarked.
She informed that this year, her administration has once again hosted the Santripreneur Program with the theme of "Industrial Students Support Indonesia's Economic Recovery,” which has been conducted simultaneously in six Islamic boarding schools.
The six schools are Al Mufidah Santi Asromo Islamic Boarding School in Majalengka district, Fauzan Islamic Boarding School in Garut district, Manbaul Hasanah Islamic Boarding School in Indramayu district, Abu Manshur Islamic Boarding School in Cirebon district, Annahla Firdaus Islamic Boarding School in Subang district, and Assyyafiiyah Islamic Boarding School in Kendal district.
"The number of participants who took part in this event is 650 people, spread over six Islamic boarding schools," she informed.
The activities that will be conducted under the program will cover technical guidance, building of business management capabilities, technical production support to students and alumni, as well as support for production machinery and equipment procurement.
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Translator: Sella P G, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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