Kemnaker Holds Job Training Programs to Help Reduce Unemployment Rate

JAKARTA -  To help suppress the country’s unemployment rate, the Manpower Ministry (Kemnaker) is continuing its efforts to improve the quality of teaching in the country’s community vocational learning centers (BLK) by increasing the types and standards of skill acquisition programs and competency assessments.  

“Kemnaker will help improve the quality of vocational education by enacting more programs and activities at BLKs run by the central government and regional BLKs as well. We will also persist with efforts to widen job opportunities,” Minister Ida said in a written statement on Wednesday (17/2). 

Minister Ida added that training programs held at BLKs must convey knowledge on how to handle the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce, as well as tackle classic issues such as demographic issues and raising productivity and competitiveness levels, of which Indonesia is still lagging far behind its neighbors. 

“We will also provide more training programs dedicated to entrepreneurship,” she said. 

Data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) showed that Indonesia’s workforce is made up of over 138 million people as of August 2020, with 128 million active workers and 9.7 million unemployed. Indonesia’s unemployment rate in this period reached 7.07%, while 29.12 million people of working age were affected by consequences related to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Minister Ida explained that 70% of Kemnaker’s budget will be allocated to improve competency development programs. Aside from this, Kemnaker will continue to hold programs dedicated to the reduction of the unemployment rate and the opening of more job opportunities. 

“This is done by holding labor-intensive programs, infrastructure development, holding programs aimed at independent workers (TKM), technology adaptation and other activities aimed at expanding job opportunities,” she said. 

Kemnaker say that they have successfully ‘upgraded’ the competency levels of 901,177 workers through suitable vocational training, internship programs, productivity training and competency certification. Roughly 121,049 people participated in their vocational training programs, 19,475 in internship programs, 11,346 in productivity training and 749,307 in competency certification. The ministry also opened to 1,014 BLKs in 2020 from Aceh to Papua. 

Held since 2017 by the Ministry of National Planning/Bappenas, the Indonesia Development Forum is an international conference which gathers government figures, industry actors, academics, experts and members of the public to discuss potential solutions and ideas on how to improve Indonesia’s developmental challenges. 

Send us your ideas through Indonesia Development Forum’s official website and social media pages for a chance for your ideas to be heard and considered by policymakers!