47 POLITAP Lecturers Improve Instructional Skills Through PEKERTI Training

Politeknik Negeri Ketapang (Ketapang State Polytechnic) continues its efforts to improve the quality and competence of lecturers, this time by holding basic instructional skills training (PEKERTI) for 47 lecturers within POLITAP. The PEKERTI activity was organized through a collaboration between the Center for Learning Development and Quality Assurance (P4MP) of POLITAP and the Institute for Learning Development and Quality Assurance (LP3M) of Universitas Tanjungpura (UNTAN). This training aims to enhance and expand knowledge and insights regarding methodological principles and teaching skills in higher education to improve both the quality and student learning outcomes.

The PEKERTI training was held for 3 days from Tuesday to Thursday, 22–24 October 2019, located at the Ketapang Regency Bapenda Office Hall. The event was officially opened by the Director of Politeknik Negeri Ketapang, Endang Kusmana, SE, MM. Ak, CA. In his remarks, Endang Kusmana stated that lecturers are not merely educators whose task is only to teach, but also scientists whose primary duty is to transform, develop, and disseminate science, technology, and the arts through education, research, and community service. Therefore, they must continuously develop themselves, especially in facing rapid changes in the current Industrial Revolution 4.0 era.

According to Endang Kusmana, the current Industrial Revolution 4.0 requires us to continually adapt to ongoing changes, especially those related to digital technology. For this reason, he stated that Politap lecturers must respond quickly to changes by continuously improving their competence, one way being through participation in PEKERTI training. At the institutional level, POLITAP has also responded to these changes by implementing digital technology in academic service systems through Android-based SIAKAD, so that student academic services no longer rely on ineffective manual systems, he said.

Also present on this occasion was the Head of LP3M Untan, Prof. Dr. Aunurrahman, M.Pd. In his address, Aunurrahman expressed his pleasure at being able to attend and collaborate with POLITAP in organizing the PEKERTI training, which was held for the first time in Ketapang Regency. He hoped that all training participants would follow the training earnestly until completion. He further hoped that after participating in the PEKERTI training, Politap lecturers could become professional educators ready to face the Industrial Revolution 4.0 era, he concluded.