VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOInews, Batam: Indonesian President Joko Widodo has established the Tanjung Sauh Special Economic Zone (SEZ) through Government Regulation (PP) Number 24 of 2024. The SEZ, which is located on Tanjung Sauh Island, Batam City, Riau Islands Province, has an area of 840.67 hectares.

The establishment of the Tanjung Sauh SEZ was carried out to accelerate job creation, the development of the Batam city area in supporting regional economic development and the national economy. "With the development of the Tanjung Sauh SEZ, it is expected to boost Indonesia's competitiveness, as well as have a significant impact on the regional economy through investment receipts reaching Rp199.6 trillion and job creation, both direct and indirect, of 366,087 people when fully operational for 30 years," said Acting. Secretary General of the National SEZ Council, Rizal Edwin Manansang, as quoted from an official statement on Wednesday (12/6/2024).

Mr Manansang further explained that the optimised development of the area is expected to contribute to the Riau Islands' GRDP, reaching Rp166.81 trillion cumulatively. "The Tanjung Sauh SEZ has an investment realisation commitment of Rp199.6 trillion and is expected to be able to absorb a workforce of 366,087 people until 2053," the statement read.

It is known that the Tanjung Sauh SEZ has a production and processing business plan, energy development, and logistics and distribution. In this SEZ, the electronic component industry (PCB, RFID, GPS, CCTV, and Semiconductor) will be developed, as well as the electronic product assembly industry. "In terms of ports, the existence of the port in Tanjung Sauh SEZ between Batam and Bintan is an important bridge for logistics mobilisation between the Riau Islands and the national and international markets. Tanjung Sauh SEZ will also act as a modern gateway port, able to accommodate up to 5 million TEUS, and become a logistics centre in the region between Batam and Bintan," he continued.

Tanjung Sauh SEZ will also become a centre for research and development in the energy sector, as well as a producer of alternative energy, renewable energy and primary energy, which is predicted to meet the needs of industries and households in Batam-Bintan. According to the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, through Government Regulation No. 24 of 2024, there are already 21 SEZs spread across Indonesia, and have recorded an investment of Rp187.5 trillion with the creation of 126,506 workers by March 2024. "The development of SEZs generally aims to increase investment, exports, import substitution, create jobs, create a breakthrough model of regional development through industrial and service development. The targets are globally competitive industries, international tourism services, education and health services, and the digital economy," he concluded.

Source:  Indonesian Coordinating Ministry of Economy

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

VOInews, Sukoharjo: SMKN 5 Sukoharjo, Central Java, has made a new breakthrough in the world of vocational education by producing Smart TVs and laptops. The two electronic products are handmade by students of the Network Engineering Expertise Programme. With the brand name Gen-IT, the teaching factory (Tefa) of SMKN 5 Sukoharjo Network Engineering Expertise Programme has received various orders. Not only that, the products from Gen-IT have also received a brand certificate in 2022.

Quoting the Ministry of Education and Culture's Vocational page, Ari Kurniawati, Head of SMKN 5 Sukoharjo, said that the existence of Tefa is very helpful for student competence. "The existence of Tefa in SMK is able to provide real experience. With work processes in accordance with industry SOPs, students are able to practice and learn directly,’ wrote Kemdikbud.

This was felt by Faiz Gilang Pratama, a grade XI student of the Network Engineering Expertise Programme. Having an interest at the beginning of entering SMK, he honed his skills so that one day he could compete in the world of work. ‘Learning at SMK provides facilities for me to learn many things, especially in the field of network engineering,’ said Faiz.

Faiz joined the production unit and was instructed to assemble various products, such as all-in-one laptops and smart TVs. They started assembling from start to finish, even installing windows and software. According to Faiz, with project-based learning, he feels free in choosing how to learn. This is in line with the Merdeka Belajar movement launched by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek). ‘The project of making Gen-IT products is my way of learning because I like practical learning style,’ explained Faiz.

In the past year, there have been 12 orders for Gen-IT products from the community and fellow school members. Waluyo, teacher of the Autotronics Expertise Programme, explained that the quality of these products is also not just any because the SMK production unit works closely with the industry. "The materials come from CV Estima as a supplier and PT Supertone Indonesia.
Later, when CV Estima gets an order, the students of SMKN 5 Sukoharjo will assemble it,’ said Waluyo.

According to Waluyo, this is a form of collaboration between vocational schools and industry. In addition, it can also have a big impact on students because the material can be directly implemented so that it opens up insights to have an independent business after graduation. SMKN 5 Sukahorjo also often participates in exhibition activities, one of which was Business Matching 2024 at Solo Technopark last May.

Source: Kemdikbud RI