Building Practitioner Resilience

Abstract

It is widely agreed that Indonesia is currently one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and with this growth has come the inevitable ‘internationalisation’ of the educational market, driven by investment, foreign aid, and trade agreements. Additionally, the Indonesian vocational and further education marketplace faces several challenges, risks, and vulnerabilities which make it necessary to integrate resilience development as a key component of future engagement practice. Technological change, economic instability, limited resources and emerging environmental and social challenges all weigh heavily on an emerging economy. Meaningful engagement therefore requires integrating resilience, so institutions can foster a culture of adaptability and flexibility. However, the content and conduct of imported models of engagement have been shown to lack the requisite local cultural sensitivity and therefore are having an unintended negative impact on educational practice (Allais, 2014). Whilst much of the substance of these imported models is delivered with good intention, there is a level of cultural inappropriateness, and this means that programs lack traction in the Indonesian milieu. In this article, the authors reflect on the deployment of the meaningful practice intervention model (Fairman, 2018) within a specified project, which is the creation of an industry-led vocational training system for the logistics and supply chain sector for Indonesia. In following this issue, the paper examines the approach, outcomes, initial design and relevant inclusion practices currently used in the education area in order to highlight a more culturally appropriate way forward for industry-led interventions, particularly in Occupational Standards and training systems design. The investigation also critically analyses the lessons learned and the changes required to assist any future foreign-designed capability development programs. The researchers critically examine their project using Driscoll’s (2007) Reflective Practice model, in order to better understanding what went well and what could be improved, paying particular relevance to donor-funded programs and the deployment of the meaningful practice intervention model.