BEST Program: Improving Jepara Community Competencies through English Skill Training
Jepara, 26th February 2025 – PT Bhumi Jati Power, hereinafter (“BJP”), successfully conducted the series of events for the BJP English Skill Training Program (“BEST Program”), which began on 31st January 2025 and ended on 26th February 2025. This program was initiated by the BJP and has been in cooperation with Universitas Islam Nahdlatul Ulama Jepara (“UNISNU”).
This program aims to enhance the English skills of the people of Jepara Regency, especially for young people of working age. In addition to providing intensive learning using materials based on the Test of English as a Foreign Language, participants were also provided with various tips to boost their self-confidence through speaking practice.
The series of BEST Program activities began with selecting participants through a pre-test of basic English skills and interviews related to motivation to participate in the BEST Program. Of the 63 applicants, the best 20 were selected as participants, with the program activities held at UNISNU.
There were 12 learning sessions attended by BEST Program participants, with materials covering grammar, reading, listening, and speaking. In some sessions, native speakers were involved in optimizing the listening and speaking practices of the training participants. The learning methods provided are also fun and interactive, thus improving the ability to communicate and express opinions.
The series of BEST Program activities were closed with Cultural Night, an event themed to share culture with international citizens. This event was held on 25-26 February 2025 at the D’season Hotel Jepara. In addition to being attended by BJP and UNISNU, this event also invited 10 international citizens from Poland, Vietnam, Yemen, India, Uzbekistan, Timor-Leste, Nigeria, Kiribati, and Argentina.
The Cultural Night series of events began with a session of watching a movie together and discussing. Then, it continued with a sharing session between BEST Program participants and international citizens. Until the peak of the event, namely a cultural performance staged in the evening.
Picture 1. Sharing session BEST Program Participants with Foreign Students
At the main event of Cultural Night, Mr. Hadi Suwasono, as Project Company Representative of BJP, in his speech, conveyed that, nowadays, English is very easy to learn with the facilities available, so we can all optimize and improve our English skills. “Opportunities will not come by themselves, so we must be ready for all the challenges that exist. ‘Confidence is not character, but it’s about achievement, and please value it.’”
Mr. Ichiro Usui, as the General Manager of Planning and Coordination at PT Bhumi Jepara Service, in his speech shared his experiences when he worked and visited over 20 countries in the world. One key element that has helped him to communicate is the ability to speak English because English is a global language that connects people from different parts of the world. Mr. Usui also delivered a message, “Do not be afraid to challenge yourself and gain new experiences. From my experience, I can say that by diving into new environments and cultures, you can gain a lot of learning and growth”.
During the event, Mr. Abdul Jamil, the Rector of UNISNU, expressed his appreciation to the BJP for collaborating with UNISNU, especially in the English skill training. He also appreciated the high social responsibility of the BJP for increasing the capacity of the community in Jepara.
This event was enlivened by cultural arts performances by international students by performing the Holopis Kuntul Baris dance and musical drama about Ratu Kalinyamat against the Portuguese performed by BEST Participants. The last agenda was the next day; all participants joined outbound and played games to establish a relationship among the participants. With the successful implementation of the BEST Program, it is hoped that the young generation of Jepara will be inspired to develop their English language skills and enable them to interact globally.