Development of a Non-Formal Education Program for Community Empowerment at SPNF-SKB Kota Tomohon

Abstract

Non-formal education in Indonesia has generally been treated as a fallback option a place for those who missed the formal route, not a serious vehicle for economic development. This study starts from a different premise: that institutions like SPNF-SKB in Tomohon City can do more, if their programs are built around what local communities actually need. The research used a descriptive qualitative approach. Data came from field observations, institutional records, and direct conversations with learners about what they expected from the program and what they actually got. Two problems stood out. The curriculum has little connection to the economic realities of Tomohon local knowledge and community livelihoods are largely absent from what gets taught. At the same time, the skills training runs parallel to, rather than alongside, the MSME sector nearby. Add to this a shortage of qualified educators and thin managerial capacity, and it becomes clear why digital learning has not taken hold. This study proposes reorienting SPNF-SKB around entrepreneurship incubation, with the local economy not a national curriculum template as the starting point. The idea is not to replace certificates, but to make them mean something in practice. The broader implication is uncomfortable but worth stating: non-formal education policy in Indonesia has been too focused on standardization and not enough on fit. What works in Tomohon may not work everywhere, but the approach designing programs around real local conditions is transferable. Policymakers who want non-formal education to matter economically will need to take that seriously