Minister Hanif Dhakiri (center) visits an automotive workshop of the vocational training center (BLK) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday (17/10/2018). The minister handed over 1,040 certificates of competence to the BLK graduates.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Revitalizing vocational training centers (BLK) is becoming increasingly important to improve Indonesian workers’ competitiveness and productivity. The majority of today’s workers have a low level of education.
According to government data, the country’s 124 million workers are dominated by elementary school graduates at 40.69 percent, followed by junior high school graduates (18.09 percent), high school graduates (18.01 percent), vocational high school graduates (11.03 percent) and finally, university graduates (9.4 percent).
Labor Institute Indonesia executive secretary Andy William Sinaga said that establishing a cross-sectoral synergy was crucial for creating skillful and capable workers. This synergy must be established for both formal education and vocation training programs outside schools, such as BLKs.
"Therefore, the revitalization of BLK is very important," Andy said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
According to the Labor Institute Indonesia, the Manpower Ministry operates relatively few BLKs – only 18 of about 300 BLKs in the country. To provide more BLKs across Indonesia, the ministry needed to increase the number of its BLKs to a minimum 33 Class-A BLKs.
Andy said many BLKS run by local governments were neglected. Most lagged behind in term of adequate facilities, so they were unable to keep pace with current technological developments.
BLKs that focus on entrepreneurial training for the younger workforce to establish start-ups also needed improvement. According to the Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Indonesian workers’ productivity was below that of Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia. "To promote [better] coordination, it would be best to integrate the BLKs operated by the central and local governments with the National Productivity Agency, which reports directly to the President," said Andy.
Digital economy
Issues concerning competitiveness and the workforce were also raised at the 5th Indonesia Industrial Relations Conference, themed "Aligning New Industrial Relations Policies Towards Industry 4.0 ", held the Apindo Training Center on Wednesday in Jakarta.
At the conference, the Manpower Ministry’s job requirements director, Siti Djunaedah, said that improving the skills of workers was the biggest challenge that must be addressed and tackled appropriately for entering the digital economy era.
The ministry had taken strategic steps to improve skills training. "First, in modernizing the BLKs through revitalization, rebranding and reorientation programs," said Djunaedah.
Second, developing an internship program in line with the demands of the technology-oriented labor market that was supported by a curriculum based on the national job competency standards. Third was
restructuring the labor market system through collaboration between the government and the business world.
Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) deputy chair Shinta W. Kamdani said that the national vocational committee had formulated the necessary transformations to the labor market that involved tripartite partnerships between government, employers and labor unions.
"This partnership ensures that all parties have the same responsibility in the matter," said Shinta.
Amich Alhumami, the higher education, science and technology and culture director at the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), said that education budgets should ensure improvements in education quality. Education budgets should not focus only on formal schooling. (CAS/ELN)
