Standard Operating Procedures for Vocational Training in Rehabilitation Centres: What Have We Missed?

Private companies in Indonesia must employ People with Disabilities (PwD) at the rate of at least 1%. The National Vocational Rehabilitation Center (NVRC) or is an institution offering services for PwD to help them gain employment at formal institutions. At NVRC, PwD acquire skills that are useful in the workplace setting through education and training offered by experts, including social workers and
instructors. In addition to job skills, many PwD require psychological support to cope with their workplace settings. The process by which NVRC delivers these services is fundamental because the competence of PwD in the workplace is strongly dependent on the quality of their education or training they receive. This study used a qualitative approach to examine the process. Our data was collected through in-depth interviews with 16 informants as well as group discussions and observation. This study noted various problems, especially regarding the practice of student recruitment and assessment for vocational training. Our findings indicate that standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been established at NVRC. Due to the lack of funds, however, the actual recruitment and assessment processes at NVRC are not in keeping with the SOPs. Another problem preventing the full implementation of the SOPs is that the local institutions referring PwD from other regions do not have an adequate selection process that can match the type of skills training to be undertaken at NVRC.