After 16 weeks of learning, Mini SBM program participants are preparing for an 8-week Action Learning Project (ALP). ALP is a project-based learning approach in which participants identify a business problem, develop a solution over 8 weeks, and present the results to stakeholders from SBM and TACO, the mini SBM organizer.

Mini SBM is a non-degree learning program pioneered by the ITB School of Business and Management (SBM ITB) in collaboration with PT Tangkas Cipta Optimal (TACO). This program aims to prepare underprivileged high school and vocational school graduates and marginalized groups for the world of work.

During the previous 16-week online learning period, Mini SBM participants have acquired comprehensive management and technical skills. Mentors from the SBM community guide the classroom, making learning seem like offline learning.

On February 27, 2024, Batch 1 Mini SBM participants visited TACO’s High-Pressure Laminate (HPL) factory in Cikande, Banten, as part of preparations for the ALP process. During the visit, participants learned about the adhesion production process and the HPL assembly process. After the factory tour, participants were divided into 6 groups, each consisting of 5 to 6 participants, and operational issues were given to resolve.

Yunieta Anny Nainggolan, the Deputy Chair of Mini SBM, said that SBM and TACO had prepared 6 operational issues at the HPL factory, from minimizing rejected goods to building a plastic waste recycling factory. “We will also assist participants in obtaining project data from TACO,” said Yunieta on Tuesday (5/3).

Next on Mini SBM’s agenda is a six-month internship program at TACO. According to Yunieta, the aim of this internship is to produce workers ready to work in industry. “And we hope TACO will hire them (Mini SBM graduates) as employees,” she concluded.

Gystara Anindita Nurintan, a high school graduate from Nganjuk, East Java, who participated in Mini SBM Batch 1, admitted that she was ready to join an internship. “I had done mental preparation for the internship,” Gystara said.  

Written by Student Reporter (Muhammad Lauda, MBA YP 69)