80 UNISA Yogyakarta Vocational Students Receive Competency and Professional Certification Program Grants from the Ministry of Education and Science and Technology

Universitas ‘Aisyiyah (UNISA) Yogyakarta received a grant for the 2025 Vocational Student Competency and Profession Certification Program from the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemendiktisaintek) through LSP Unisa Yogyakarta.

“This grant program provides very strategic benefits for Unisa Yogyakarta and students, especially vocational students, considering that LSP Unisa has just received a license from BNSP last March,” said Head of the Professional Certification Institute (LSP) UNISA Yogyakarta, Endang Koni Suryaningsih, Thursday (19/6/2025).

Endang Koni said that for students, this program provides an opportunity to take the competency certification test for free, because all financing costs are covered by the Higher Education grant. “Thus, students have a certificate of competence that is nationally recognized by the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP), which is an important provision for entering the world of work,” said Endang Koni.

There are 80 students receiving this grant. They come from two vocational study programs that already have certification schemes at LSP UNISA Yogyakarta (Occupational Safety and Health Officer / K3 Officer Scheme), namely the Diploma III Radiology Study Program and the Diploma IV Medical Laboratory Technology (TLM) Study Program. Participants have been selected based on their readiness and eligibility to take the competency test according to the scheme that has been prepared and authorized.

Endang Koni also said that for UNISA Yogyakarta, this grant shows the government’s trust in the readiness of UNISA Yogyakarta, especially through LSP UNISA Yogyakarta, in organizing competency tests professionally and supporting the improvement of the quality of vocational graduates.

The success of this grant is inseparable from the direct guidance of the Vice Rector I, Dr. Sulistyaningsih, SKM, M.H.Kes., who is also a member of the LSP steering board and the support and facilitation of all leaders at UNISA Yogyakarta for the existence of LSP Unisa Yogyakarta. In the future, UNISA Yogyakarta will expand the competency certification scheme for other vocational study programs at UNISA Yogyakarta so that more students can take the competency test. In addition, integrating the certification process into learning so that students are better prepared in knowledge and practice in facing competency tests.

“Then, strengthening the LSP UNISA Yogyakarta in terms of management, assessors, and facilities in order to become a professional and sustainable certification body. Mapping the needs of the world of work so that the schemes developed are in accordance with industry standards and current job demands,” said Endang Koni.

Endang Koni hopes that this grant program can be the first step in strengthening the culture of competency certification in UNISA Yogyakarta’s vocational education environment. “Students are expected to not only graduate with a diploma, but also have a certificate of competence that is proof of professionalism and work skills,” she said.

In addition, this program is proof of the government’s concrete support in strengthening vocational education, and UNISA Yogyakarta is ready to be part of the ecosystem. “In the future, it is expected that more and more vocational study programs at UNISA Yogyakarta will be involved in similar programs, so that all graduates have high competitiveness and are ready to work in the world of work,” Endang Koni concluded.