Kemenperin to Help Produce More Textile Industry Workers

JAKARTA – The high demand for workers in Indonesia’s textiles industry has pushed the Industry Ministry (Kemenperin) to accelerate the development of the Solo Technopark, with help from the Solo regional government.

The ministry’s head of industry human resource development (BPSDMI) Arus Gunawan explained that the partnership with the Solo regional government is to improve the quality and competency of industry workers in the region.

“To aid the development of workers for the textile industry, the ministry’s BPSDMI department is developing the Solo Textiles Community Academy (AK Tekstil Solo), which is located in the Solo Technopark,” he said in Jakarta on Monday (29/3).

With a more competent workforce, Arus is confident that Indonesia’s textiles industry can become more competitive in the global market. Doing so is crucial due to the fact that the industry contributes heavily to the country’s export numbers. It is also a labor-intensive industry where a lot of jobs are created.

Kemenperin data shows that the local clothing industry managed to gather US$7.04 billion in 2020. The sector also contributes up to 6.76% towards the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), from industries outside of energy, that same year. 

The AK Tekstil Solo is one of the Kemenperin’s educational units that offer a Diploma II-level education and is made up of three specific study programs: yarn production, cloth production and garment production. “We would need to develop these programs so that the students can gather the maximum benefits from it,” Arus added.

Over 1,000 students have graduated from AK Tekstil Solo. The institute produces 300 graduates a year, with 100% of its graduates finding work in Indonesia’s major textile companies.

“The successes of AK Tekstil Solo serve as a great example of the benefits of partnership between educational institutions and industries,” Arus said. This means that the institution is able to fulfill the needs of the textiles industry by producing skilled workers.

Moreover, Arus believes that the institution has successfully implemented link and match approaches with industry actors who have helped bolster training centre curriculums with industry education. Doing so, the institute is able to produce graduates that hold specific skills needed by industries, which ensures them of employment within the industry itself.

The reason why Solo is chosen as the site for the AK Tekstil institute is because Solo itself is a city known for its textiles, particularly batik.

“Going forward, we will try to expand this partnership to help develop Solo’s textile industry as a whole. I hope that the AK Tekstil Solo and the Solo Technopark can become a significant factor in the industry’s supply chain,” Arus said. 

The Kemenperin partnered with the Solo Technopark and the Central Java branch of the Indonesian Textiles Association (API) to build the AK Tekstil Solo in 2015. It was officially opened by President Joko Widodo, himself a native of Solo, in 2016.