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Adapting to an Economy in Transition, Maryke Alelo Prioritises Education in Green Skills
Maryke Alelo believes green jobs are opportunities today, not in the distant future, and she is building an education that gives students essential skills for a green economy.
The Manado State Polytechnic (Polimdo) Director participated in the Aus4ASEAN Short Course on Green Skills in Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) held at Griffith University in 2024.
It was a chance to witness green jobs in action and to learn how to expand concepts that were already sparking interest at Polimdo.
"On campus, I rarely have the opportunity to reflect because I’m constantly occupied with urgent matters that demand immediate attention. The Short Course became a contemplative moment for me, a chance to reflect on life and how we live off nature yet often neglect it," Maryke shared.
Maryke’s commitment to environmental issues dates back to 2020. Polimdo was part of the Skills for Prosperity program, a United Kingdom Government and International Labour Organisation initiative to enhance the ability of several polytechnics in Indonesia to support sustainable economic growth.
Polimdo had been working with coastal communities in Tiwoho and Budo villages to develop local and natural products to support sustainable tourism.
The programs helped Maryke recognise the importance of equipping students with skills to support sustainable economic activities, otherwise known as “green skills”.
"When the Short Course focusing on green skills was announced, I was immediately interested in joining,” she recalled. “To integrate green skills at an institutional level, a leader needs to have a thorough understanding of what green skills entail so that policies can genuinely align with sustainable development principles."
Observing the Implementation of Green Skills in Australia
The Short Course held in January–February 2024 wasn’t Maryke’s first trip to Australia. She was a Masters of Business Administration student at Griffith University in 1998 and noticed a lot of changes in the years since her last visit.
Over her two weeks in Australia, Maryke focused closely on the implementation of green skills, looking for initiatives that could be replicated at Polimdo.
"During my visit, I noticed how seriously Australia is addressing green skills and green jobs," said Maryke.
"At Urban Utilities, a waste treatment facility in Australia, I saw how organic waste from human faeces is processed into electricity. We also visited Snowy Hydro, which generates electricity from renewable energy sources such as water.
"Many of us might still think of green jobs as abstract opportunities in the distant future, but green jobs are already here, right in front of us."
In addition to site visits, Maryke gained a deeper understanding of how to integrate green skills into educational curricula and translate the concepts into institutional policies. "These are the kinds of skills that leaders and decision-makers in institutions need to have," she said.
Equipping Polimdo’s Students with Green Skills
After visiting countries like the UK and Australia, which actively promote sustainable economic activities, Maryke was even more motivated to integrate green skills into Polimdo’s curriculum.
"In addition to the Short Course, I visited the Eden Project in the UK, a tourism area developed on a former mining site. Here in North Sulawesi, we have former mining sites like Newmont that could be transformed into tourism areas, but we need people with green skills to make it happen," said Maryke.
"Green skills are also essential for those managing underwater tourism in North Sulawesi to ensure sustainability.”
Polimdo has progressively been incorporating green skills into the learning materials across its 21 study programs. For instance, the accounting program includes environmental cost calculation, while electrical and civil engineering programs now emphasise sustainable infrastructure development and renewable energy. Similarly, the tourism program focuses on sustainable tourism.
"The Short Course significantly broadened my perspective on green skills. Now, with greater awareness, I’m striving to enhance green skills among all Polimdo academics," Maryke added.
Making Green Skills a Top Priority at Polimdo
Polimdo is aiming to fully transform into a green campus by 2028. One key initiative is establishing a recycling centre by 2025, which will process plastic waste into pellets for resale, generating revenue for the institution.
"The recycling centre is also intended to involve the surrounding community, encouraging them to sell their plastic waste to us in exchange for incentives, promoting active environmental stewardship," Maryke said.
Additionally, Polimdo plans to process organic waste into fertiliser for campus plants and develop rainwater harvesting facilities to support campus greenery maintenance. Another effort involves directing Polimdo’s research and community engagement towards green skills-related themes.
Maryke also highlighted project-based learning for students, such as converting plastic waste into paving blocks, to align with green skills development.
She has even drawn inspiration from the way Australia Awards in Indonesia continues its engagement with Australia Awards Scholarships (AAS) alumni after their studies.
"While completing the AAS questionnaire, I engaged several Heads of Study Programs at Polimdo in a discussion to reflect on our past community service programs and evaluate whether they were genuinely impactful,” she said. “This inspired me to implement more robust monitoring and evaluation for future programs, seemingly a simple but highly effective step."
As Polimdo’s leader and a Griffith University alumna, Maryke recently facilitated a collaboration between Polimdo and the Griffith Institute for Tourism to research plastic waste processing technologies to support sustainable tourism.
In September 2024, two Polimdo lecturers, Yollanda Lagarens and Dr Winda Sanni Slat, visited Griffith University and successfully developed an innovation for collecting floating plastic waste. The portable conveyor, designed for fishing boats, was trialled along the Manado coastline in October 2024.
In November 2024, Maryke was re-elected as Director of Polimdo. In her second term, she aims to make green skills a top priority on campus.
"We plan to undertake a major restructuring of the curriculum because previously, green skills were only integrated as minor changes. Moving forward, green skills will become a key priority and an essential component of our learning outcomes," Maryke stated.
She also plans to focus on capacity building for Polimdo’s teaching staff, enabling them to adapt to a world increasingly centred on renewable energy and sustainable economic activities. Maryke is determined to raise awareness about the importance of these issues, not just among students but also among lecturers, even if some may resist her ideas.
"These global changes must continue to be introduced on campus, even though it won’t be an easy journey," Maryke said.
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