VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has expressed hope that the vocational training center (BLK) established in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) would effectively improve skills of work forces.

"I believe that it could be more effective to improve their skills," Jokowi said at the signing of cooperation on batch 1 community-based vocational training center in Jakarta on Wednesday.

The government, he continued, is evaluating the community-based BLK program. In 2017, it established 55 community-based BLK, and it was increased to 75 training centers in 2018.

In 2019, the Ministry of Manpower would establish one thousand training centers, of which 500 centers would be launched in its first stage.

The president remarked that the training centers' effectiveness could be increased as it is established within the Islamic boarding school complex.

Furthermore, Jokowi has called on the training center to adjust the training material with the industry in the region.

"They (the boarding school) can choose whether they want to have training on information technology, garment, creative industry, or processing of agriculture product. There are many alternatives that they can choose," he elaborated.

The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) has also opened the chance for graduates of the training center to be channeled to companies. (ANTARA)