VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Jakarta: Excellent human resources are key to achieving the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045. Especially with the momentum of the demographic bonus which is expected to peak in 2030, Indonesia has the potential to take advantage of these opportunities if it can prepare its human resources properly. The Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs emphasises the importance of vocational education and collaboration to create qualified human resources in fields needed by the industry. "It is hoped that with the collaboration of various parties, we can prepare human resources that can answer the needs of the industry (demand side), and obtain appropriate inputs to prepare workforce education and training (supply side)," said Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Deputy for Coordination of Digital Economy, Employment, and MSMEs Moh. Rudy Salahuddin, during the TVET System Reform 2.0 Project Closing Ceremony, in Jakarta, Wednesday (12/06).

As quoted from a written statement from the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, the Indonesian government gives high priority to efforts to revitalise Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET), one of which is through the issuance of Presidential Regulation (Perpres) Number 68 of 2022. "One of the important points in Revitalising Vocational Education and Training is to increase the involvement of the Industrial Business World (DUDI) in vocational activities, such as the preparation of competency standards, curriculum, provision of apprenticeship places, and provision of training," the statement read.

The paradigm of vocational education and training, which was previously supply-driven, is now also directed to be demand-driven, oriented towards the needs of the labour market. "Presidential Regulation No. 68 Year 2022 also emphasises the importance of collaboration involving ministries/institutions, regional governments, business entities, and vocational education and training institutions. Efforts to strengthen this collaboration are carried out through the National Coordination Team for Revitalising Vocational Education and Vocational Training (TKNV) at the national level, as well as TKDV at the regional level," he continued.

The TVET System Reform 2.0 (TSR 2.0) project is a collaborative effort between the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and the German Development Cooperation Agency, implemented by The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ) on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) of the Federal Republic of Germany. The project aims to support the implementation of key elements of the Government of Indonesia's reform agenda in TVET, including the Vocational National Strategy.

As a closing event for the TRS 2.0 Project, which ends in June 2024, the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs supported by GIZ held a conference entitled TVET Partnership: Shaping the Future of Indonesia's Vocational System. The conference aimed to reaffirm the importance of TVET in the national agenda to increase the productivity and competitiveness of the Indonesian workforce in addressing HR development challenges. In the series of events, a talk show was also held which was divided into two sessions. The first session was themed "Revitalising Vocational Education and Vocational Training", and the second session was themed "Navigating TVET through Dynamic Environment".

There have been many achievements during the three years of TSR 2.0 implementation, including supporting the process of drafting the Vocational Strategy and TVET coordination mechanism through the support of the Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BiBB) or the German TVET coordinating institution, as well as supporting KADIN through KADIN Capacity Development (KCD) activities, which are systematically and practically designed to help companies carry out vocational activities.

The project also initiated in-company master trainer trainings to further train workplace trainers who are deployed throughout the industry. The TSR 2.0 collaboration also initiated the use of virtual reality (VR) tools, a digital instrument that is very effective in assisting vocational learning, from overcoming teacher shortages to saving the cost of work practices.

"I am confident that the results and legacy left from this joint agenda will be impactful and sustainable. We hope that the cooperation between the Government of Indonesia and Germany can continue in the future in order to advance the TVET System in Indonesia, to produce human resources that are skilled, competitive and in accordance with the needs of the future labour market," said Deputy Rudy.

Source: ekon.go.id

VOInews, Geneva: Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Manpower, Afriansyah Noor, has stressed the importance of international collaboration to upskill the workforce in the ASEAN region. Afriansyah expressed his appreciation to the Malaysian Minister of Human Resources while attending the Networking Sharing Session for ASEAN High-Tea organised by the Malaysian Ministry of Human Resources, Geneva, Tuesday (11/6). "Amid global pressures, investment in human resources is crucial," said Deputy Minister of Manpower, Afriansyah.

Afriansyah emphasised that the government should prioritise developing workers' skills, especially for vulnerable groups such as youth, women, people with disabilities, low-income workers, and those working in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). "By focusing on skills upgrading, we can create a resilient workforce that is ready to face the challenges of the future," Afriansyah said.

The Networking Sharing Session for ASEAN High-Tea was a forum for ASEAN countries to exchange insights on important initiatives such as the Training Skills Fund and the ASEAN Year of Skills 2025. Afriansyah appreciated Malaysia's efforts to promote the Training Skills Fund as a model that can be adopted by other countries in the region. "This initiative shows how important coordinated efforts are to address the skills gap and promote lifelong learning," Afriansyah said.

Malaysia's plan to hold an ASEAN Training Fund Summit also received a positive response from Afriansyah. According to him, the summit will be an opportunity to address issues of access to quality education, skills mismatch, and labour mobility barriers in ASEAN. "By involving experts and stakeholders, we can seek innovative solutions and mobilise the necessary resources for workforce development," Afriansyah explained.

Afriansyah also highlighted the importance of Malaysia's National Human Capital Conference & Exhibition 2024 (NHCCE 2024), which will discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on the future of work. "We must prepare the ASEAN workforce for the changes brought about by AI by providing relevant skills," Afriansyah said.

NHCCE 2024 will be a forum to share best practices in reskilling and upskilling, as well as encourage international collaboration in the development of AI solutions. Furthermore, Afriansyah stressed the importance of partnerships with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to address global labour challenges. "ASEAN can leverage on the ILO's expertise in labour market policies to promote decent work and lifelong learning," Afriansyah added.

The collaboration is expected to enhance ASEAN's capacity to address the skills gap and economic transformation. Afriansyah also emphasised the need for more massive access to affordable education, vocational training and quality labour market information. "We must work together to ensure that workers have the skills needed, including digital literacy, green technology, and technical skills," he said.

This collaboration is important to protect regional and global labour mobility and ensure adaptation to changing economic demands. Concluding his speech, Deputy Minister Afriansyah expressed Indonesia's support for NHCCE 2024 and looked forward to participating in the event. He also thanked Malaysia for organising this sharing session and emphasised the importance of this forum in strengthening cooperation on competitive HR development in ASEAN. "Let us together invest in our most valuable asset: our people. By working together and sharing our experiences, we can build a brighter future for all ASEAN citizens," Afriansyah concluded.

Source: Indonesian Ministry of Manpower

Government officials and leaders of a number of universities in Indonesia, as well as Australian representatives from Central Queensland University and Western Sydney University met in Surabaya to improve university governance and management, (Photo : Australian Embassy) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : This week, government officials and leaders from Indonesian universities based in East Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Kalimantan, Maluku and North Sulawesi, as well as Australian representatives from Central Queensland University and Western Sydney University met in Surabaya to enhance university governance and management.

The meeting, initiated by the Australian Department of Education, underscores the strong education collaboration between Indonesia and Australia and continues the celebration of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the nations.

“Education has always been a cornerstone of our relationship with Indonesia. This forum not only highlights our commitment to foster greater collaboration between our universities but also reaffirms our vision of supporting the advancement of higher education in Indonesia,” said Anthea Griffin, Australian Consul-General in Surabaya at the launch of the event.

“The forum provided a platform for exchanging knowledge and experiences on best practices in university management, and the successful governance models that could be adapted to enhance the quality and competitiveness of universities in Indonesia,” added Han Xiao Zhang, the Australian Embassy’s Counsellor Education and Research.

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Thursday (13/06/24), this initiative builds on a long history of people-to-people and institutional linkages between Indonesia and Australia and reflects the shared commitment of both nations to deepen our education cooperation//VOI

Perpusnas on a hearing session with Commission X of Indonesia House of Representative for budget issue (Photo : Perpusnas) - 

VOInews, Jakarta : Commission X of the House of Representative of Indonesia have agreed the indikative limit and budget proposal raise of the state budgte plan (RAPBN) year 2025 of National Library to 721 billion Rupiah. 

Apart from that, Commission X of the House of Representative of Indonesia approved the proposal to increase the National Library's budget ceiling in IDR 375 billion. 

According to a release received by Voice of Indonesia on Thursday (13/06/24), in the hearing of Commission X of the DPR RI and National Library with the sole agenda of discussing the Ministry/Agency Budget Work Plan (RKA K/L) and Government Work Plan (RKP K/L), Chairman of Commission X DPR RI Syaiful Huda stated that this proposal was in response to orders Laws and other regulatory provisions.

"Commission X supports the indicative ceiling proposal and the additional budget proposal in the 2025 FY RAPBN. We will submit this proposal to the DPR RI Budget Body," he said in Jakarta, on Thursday (13/6/2024).

The legislator from the National Awakening Party faction said that the commitment related to the literacy movement at the National Library needs to continue to be encouraged at the level of productive implementation. This is done by utilizing various facilities, especially those that follow the trends of the millennial generation and generation Z.

"This is very important because our reading level is still low compared to the target that has been set. "Children's reading culture is declining with the presence of audio and visual media," he said.

It was explained that this must be homework that the National Library pays attention to through various budget locations and proposed activities. "We hope that in the future, this commitment to literacy will continue to be the main focus," he continued.

Meanwhile, NasDem Party faction legislator Ratih Megasari Singkarru expressed his support for the proposed additional budget. According to him, improving literacy culture and library services is crucial for the intellectual and social progress of Indonesian society.

"We from the NasDem Party Fraction certainly support the proposed additional budget for the National Library with the main target of increasing literacy culture and library services. "Increasing access and equal availability of books in various regions of Indonesia is the foundation for our intellectual and social progress," he said.

Regarding the proposed additional budget, he called this a strategic step and showed the National Library's strong commitment.

“The budget of IDR 375 billion for 2025 is a strategic step. "If approved, this may be the first time a library has a budget of up to IDR 1 trillion, after previously only around IDR 600 billion to 700 billion," he explained.

PDI Perjuangan Fraction legislator Putra Nababan fully supports the proposal to increase the National Library's budget for 2025. He acknowledged that the social inclusion-based library transformation program (TPBIS) that has been implemented by National Library has really helped local communities, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is the most real program and must be focused on, even though the budget is limited. "The people at the bottom don't care about policies, they talk about our support for their lives," he explained.

Responding to this, Acting Director of National Library E. Aminudin Aziz appreciated the support provided by the leadership and members of Commission X of the DPR RI.

"Thank you to the leadership and all members who have responded very positively to the proposed 2024 program and the additional budget for FY 2025," he said.

He explained that regarding budget allocations for programs that had not received optimal budgets, his party had reorganized them. He added that the main focus is a program to improve reading culture and literacy competency//VOI