Opinion Poll on the Need for Young Talent

Kompas

The Spirit of Unity in Diversity - A woman walks through the alleys on Jalan D, Kebon Baru, Tebet, South Jakarta, Friday (28/10/2016) which is decorated with a mural with the theme of the Spirit of Youth Pledge October 28, 1928. The commemoration of Youth Pledge Day reminds the importance of spirit unity in diversity.

Rihon Keu Bakat Muda : The title appears in Acehnese in the original article.

Young people have always played an important role in the progress of each era in this country. In addition to making achievements at the macro level, the public also hopes that the youth will play a key role in society.

An opinion poll conducted by Kompas’ Research and Development division on the role and contribution of today's youth indicated that 86.5 percent of respondents expressed appreciation for the role of young people in their neighborhood. Meanwhile, 14.1 percent of the respondents rated the youth’s contributions as “very good”, and 72.4 percent rated it as “good”.

The survey showed the positive image of the youth, as illustrated in the results of previous opinion polls. In 2015, as many as 46.4 percent of respondents acknowledged the positive image of the youth in their communities. The score further increased to 66.2 percent in 2019 (Kompas, 28 Oct., 2019).

This assessment cannot be separated from direct observations on the activities of young people in communities. Some 86 percent of the respondents said that the young people in the neighborhood where they lived played a key role in community activities, such as in strengthening the role of youth organizations, maintaining neighborhood security and mobilizing social activities.

It is no exaggeration to say that the youth play a key role in the progress of each era. The youth is a category of society that is in the peak phase of productivity. According to Law No. 40/2009, youth are those aged between 16 to 30 years. The youth also account for a quarter of the Indonesian population.

Also read:

> About Youth Pledge

> Relevance of Youth Pledge

Based on data published by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in 2020, young people make up 23.86 percent of the total population of Indonesia. The youth in account for 24.67 percent of the population in urban areas and 22.84 percent in rural areas.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the public also saw that the youth played an active role in helping to suppress the transmission of the virus. The results of the poll showed that the public acknowledged the role of the young people as a driving agent in helping residents affected by Covid-19.

KOMPAS/RADITYA HELABUMI

A video mapping that takes the story "Hi Youth and Young Indonesians" is projected on the front side of the Jakarta Cathedral Church in the commemoration of the Youth Pledge Day, Saturday (26/10/2019).

Almost all respondents said that young people in their neighborhoods adhered to Covid-19 health protocols. Four out of 10 respondents said the youth were disciplined in applying the health protocols, such as wearing masks, maintaining distance and washing their hands.

The poll indicated that 61.3 percent of the respondents recognized the active actions made by the youth in helping residents affected by Covid-19. The youth, among others, carried out activities to help affected residents, both in the form of material and non-material assistance.

This portrait complements the results of previous surveys on the role of young people in the midst of a crisis, such as in a survey carried out in 2020. At that time, 66 percent of respondents saw that there was concern among youth groups on the need to prevent the spread of Covid-19, as indicated by their active role in protecting their neighborhoods from the disease and in disseminating information, as well as in distributing the aid (Kompas, 25 Oct.).

Also read:

> Aspirations for Unity and Nationalism

> The Pursuit of Humanitarian Nationalism

This means that the youth have been able to show consistency and become agents of change in encouraging other people to take part in social work during crisis situations. Although not all respondents acknowledged the role of the youth, the survey indicated that the activities of the youth were in the right direction.

Contribution

The community also expected young people to contribute in developing the potential of the neighborhood. Respondents felt that young people had yet to optimally use their knowledge or expertise in their respective communities. As many as 42.9 percent of the respondents said that the youth had yet to have a serious commitment to using their expertise for the surrounding environment. In fact, their contributions at the local level are no less important than those at the national level. The efforts to solve problems in the regions need to be strengthened in order to maintain the balance of the nation's progress at the micro and macro levels. Reza Mulyana, 26, was among the young people who used his expertise for the progress of the community.

The graduate of the School of Agriculture at the University of Garut used his skill to revive the economy in his hometown. He, for example, raised the prestige of the Sindangreret avocado variety, which had faded for almost a decade (Kompas, 21 July 2021).

KOMPAS/P RADITYA MAHENDRA YASA

Residents in various costumes enliven the commemoration of the Youth Pledge in the Simpang Lima area, Semarang City, Central Java, Monday (28/10/2019). The cultural parade is to bring back the spirit of the Youth Pledge to unite all differences.

Like Reza, Bopy Randani, 27, also used his expertise to empower the community. The young man, who works as a teacher at a school for children with disabilities (SLB) in Rejang Lebong, Bengkulu, established a “waste bank” to help solve the waste problem in Talang Benih village, Curup district, Rejang Lebong regency (Kompas, 18 Oct.). Reza and Bopy were among the few young people to take an active role in community development.

It is undeniable that education is the backbone of change. The desire and enthusiasm of young people are, of course, not enough to turn a problem into an opportunity. Unfortunately, many young people are struggling to continue their education.

This problem is reflected in the survey, which indicated that many young people could not continue their education for economic reasons. As many as 43.5 percent of the respondents said that young people who graduated from vocational high school could easily get a job. Meanwhile, as many as 17 percent of the respondents said that high school graduates in their neighborhood were mostly unemployed, while 4.1 percent said that many young people chose to get married.

That it is not easy to motivate the youth to take a key role in community development.

The findings are in line with data obtained by BPS. The percentage of the youth who continue their education has declined from year to year. In 2017, as many as 20.08 percent of young people continued their education. The figure had fallen to 17.80 percent by 2020.

In the last five years, there has also been a decline in the proportion of the youth who are employed and an increase in the number of young people who are unemployed. In 2020, the proportion of the youth who were employed reached 51.98 percent. This figure fell from 53.89 percent in the previous year.

Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate rose to 9.34 percent in 2020, up from 8.08 percent in the previous year. This indicates that it is not easy to motivate the youth to take a key role in community development. However, it must be admitted, the enthusiasm of the youth to make changes cannot be doubted. The public are waiting for their active role. (Kompas R&D)

This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.