The Toyota Indonesia Community Academy (AKTI) is a community college located near Jakarta, Indonesia, which is fully owned and operated by the Toyota corporation. Founded in 2015 and currently enrolling approximately 96 students, AKTI is a residential campus, co-located with a Toyota manufacturing plant. Students are recruited throughout Indonesia with a particular focus on populations that are traditionally underserved by higher education; approximately 80% of students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Admission is competitive, and tuition, housing and other expenses are fully funded by the Toyota Indonesia Foundation for those students who are accepted. 

AKTI’s curriculum and pedagogy are centered around The Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR 4.0), as described by the World Economic Forum:

• The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. 
• The Fourth Industrial Revolution is about more than just technology-driven change; it is an opportunity to help everyone, including leaders, policy-makers and people from all income groups and nations, to harness converging technologies in order to create an inclusive, human-centered future (World Economic Forum, n.d.) 

Cornerstones of AKTI’s programs include continual collaboration with industry, project-based learning, and a strong emphasis on soft/enduring skills, framed as “body and mind development” – a long-standing priority for Toyota’s corporate culture and training programs. Courses are ordered systematically, starting with broad fundamental courses that introduce the concept of IR 4.0, which in turn prepare students for more specialized content on topics such as operational technology 4.0, green technology, and information technology. Throughout all coursework, technological, data, and human literacy are emphasized, as well as the ability to recognize and adapt to technological changes over time.

Beyond the classroom, all students complete a two-semester industrial work practice program at the adjacent Toyota plant, and are required to participate in co-curricular activities designed to build self-efficacy, collaborative skills, and a sense of responsibility.

While AKTI’s structure, funding, and affiliation with Toyota uniquely position the institution to provide a holistic educational experience, as a case example, it provides a number of lessons learned for community colleges and similar institutions around the world seeking to align closely with industry partners and prepare students for IR 4.0.

Multi-stakeholder curriculum design

AKTI’s curriculum is dynamic and continually evolving. The following stakeholders contribute to content and delivery:

• Parents. AKTI communicates regularly with parents about students’ progress and accomplishments. Parents play a key role in motivating and encouraging students, and in reinforcing the AKTI model of character development – particularly when challenges arise.
• Government. Because AKTI is under the auspices of the Indonesian Ministry of Education, the curriculum must comply with national accreditation rules, curriculum guidelines, and higher education standards. AKTI officials meet periodically with Ministry officials to review content and ensure this compliance. 
• Industry associations. In addition to Ministry standards, AKTI monitors changes to industry standards for training and competencies, and continually updates curricular content to meet industry needs and emerging good practices.
• Other education institutions. Within Indonesia, AKTI is collaborating with vocational high schools from which it recruits students to introduce elements of the AKTI curriculum at the secondary level, with the hope that upon enrollment, new students will already be familiar with key elements of AKTI and Toyota culture, such as a safety- and quality-first mindset. AKTI is also developing collaborations with institutions outside of Indonesia, including in Switzerland and the US, in order to bring global perspectives to the curriculum.

Campus and technology infrastructure

At ATKI, the physical environment is intentionally and thoughtfully integrated into the IR 4.0 curriculum and learning experience. Examples include:

• Campus layout, workshop and laboratory set-up, work uniforms, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety shoes, helmets, and goggles in the classroom all reflect, as closely as possible, realworld industrial environments and standards. 
• A variety of simulators are available for students to develop practical skills in key areas such as hydraulics, pneumatics, mechatronics, machine elements, robotics, and vehicle assembly.
• An Internet of Things (IoT) laboratory provides equipment for students to work with Arduino, an open source hardware and software platform used to create electronics and programming projects.
• Facial recognition equipment similar to that used in manufacturing facilities is located at classroom entrances to record attendance and detect physical symptoms such as elevated body temperature. The system is linked to AKTI’s Academic Information System, and serves as an early warning system for concerns about health issues or other challenges that may cause students to miss class and jeopardize academic performance.

Project-based learning

Throughout the curriculum and co-curriculum, students participate in project-based learning activities designed to promote the “3 C mindsets”: Connected, Creative, and Confident. Examples include:

• An IoT smart irrigation project. Using an IoT application, students designed and implemented plant watering procedures for the AKTI campus cafeteria’s garden. Students were divided into project groups, each with a particular task or theme, and were guided by instructors to complete a series of collaborative assignments over the course of four weeks.
• IoT robot UV scanning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, students created a UV cleaning robot, operated by remote control, to assist campus maintenance staff in sanitizing work areas.

Industry-embedded evaluation

Student evaluation focuses on ensuring that AKTI graduates are qualified, competent, and able to comply with industry standards. Metrics are developed in collaboration with industry and business sector partners, and competency is assessed through interviews with students and observation of their work on-site in manufacturing facilities, including the adjacent Toyota plant and various Toyota suppliers.

Outcomes and lessons learned

Student outcomes indicate the success of the AKTI model.  Thus far, a full 100% of graduates have obtained employment within three months of graduation. Of AKTI’s 342 graduates as of 2024, 95% were hired by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia, with the remaining 5% hired by Toyota supplier companies. Employers report that AKTI alumni bring valuable expertise to the shop floor, often drive improvements in equipment capabilities, and are well-prepared for future leadership roles.

While the AKTI model and circumstances are unique, its launch and first few years of operation offer lessons learned that can be applied in a variety of contexts. For community colleges and similar institutions around the world seeking to effectively prepare graduates for IR 4.0, key recommendations include: 

• Cultivate an “ecosystem” of government and industry partners to ensure compliance, relevance, and support. 
• Continually incorporate new and emerging technologies into the curriculum so that students develop the ability to quickly familiarize themselves and become comfortable with innovations. 
• Establish partnerships with international counterpart institutions to expose students to global good practices. 
• Maintain communication and relationships with alumni to help monitor industry needs and inform curriculum development.

Reference

World Economic Forum. (n.d.). Fourth Industrial Revolution. https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrialrevolution/

About the authors

Edy Susilo Darmawan has served Director of the Toyota Indonesia Academy (AKTI) since 2022. In this role, he leads industry-aligned vocational education initiatives, develops curricula, and fosters partnerships between vocational institutions and the automotive industry. He joined Toyota Indonesia in 1996 as a junior engineer in the Welding Shop, and has held various leadership roles at Toyota Indonesia, as well as at Toyota Motor Corporation in Japan and Toyota Motor Asia Pacific Engineering and Manufacturing in Thailand.

Praditya Alambara currently serves as AKTI’s Deputy Director. He began his career at Toyota Indonesia in 2006, as a staff member in the Toyota Learning Center. Since then he has held various leadership roles both on the shop floor and in management. He continues to mentor students, and collaborates closely with industry partners to ensure that AKTI’s curriculum provides the skills students need for success.

Cintya joined AKTI in 2022. Currently, she serves as a Lecturer and contributes to staff professional development and institutional accreditation initiatives.

Maula S. Sarah joined AKTI in 2022 as an intern in the Academic Administration Division. In 2024, she transitioned to the Quality Assurance Division, where she focuses on maintaining and improving internal quality standards and systems to comply with government regulations.

Photo credit: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International