The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs has announced that the government is focusing on revitalizing the vocational education system to address potential job losses due to technological advancements.
On Wednesday, Chairul Saleh, Deputy for Increasing Labor Productivity at the ministry, stated that this initiative is crucial because vocational education has been a significant source of workforce production.
“We are also working on gradually transforming the education system, given that our workforce mainly falls within the upper to lower middle class, and vocational education is the most practical approach,” Saleh explained during the “Development of Digital Economy Policy, Employment, and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)” briefing.
The revitalization effort will involve discussions with business sectors to identify the skills currently in demand, particularly in digitalization. Saleh emphasized that collaboration and dialogue between education and industry are essential for targeted labor absorption in the future.
“We need cooperation with the industry, and that’s why constructive dialogue is necessary, as the industry must keep pace with digitalization and global trends,” he said.
A Statistics Indonesia (BPS) survey revealed that in 2023, nearly 9.9 million young people in Indonesia, accounting for 22.25 percent of the population aged 15–24, were without education, jobs, or professional training.
In response to this issue, Saleh mentioned that the government is tackling unemployment through the Pre-Employment Card (PraKerja) Program.
“With the adoption of technology and digital tools, we must accelerate the development of technological skills,” he added.
Read More: https://theknowledgereview.com/
