The Indonesian government is intensifying efforts to strengthen higher education and vocational training as part of a broader strategy to develop a globally competitive workforce capable of meeting international labour market standards.
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Brian Yuliarto said the initiative is aimed at ensuring graduates from both academic universities and vocational institutions possess qualifications aligned with international benchmarks.
“We are preparing our human capital through higher education institutions, including vocational pathways, so that graduates meet global standards and are ready to compete internationally,” he told reporters after the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) on Wednesday.
Brian said Indonesia’s university and vocational graduates must be equipped not only to work domestically but also to secure employment opportunities abroad, as global demand for skilled labour continues to grow.
“Our expectation is that Indonesian graduates will be able to work across different countries because their competencies and qualifications are internationally recognised,” he said.
He added that strengthening the quality of higher education is also part of Indonesia’s efforts to demonstrate that its human resources are on par with those from developed nations.
“Indonesian professionals working overseas represent the face of our nation. We want the world to see that Indonesia’s human resources are not inferior to those of advanced countries,” he said.
Brian noted that global employment opportunities for skilled workers are expanding rapidly and said Indonesian graduates must be prepared to seize these opportunities through internationally competitive training and education.
“There is a significant demand worldwide for skilled workers. This is why we continue to push for our graduates to possess truly world-class qualifications,” he added.
Meanwhile, Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Mukhtarudin said one of the longstanding challenges in the migrant worker sector is the mismatch between workers’ competencies and the requirements of overseas industries.
He said stronger collaboration among stakeholders is needed to address the skills gap and to build a sustainable ecosystem for Indonesian migrant workers.
“There is still a gap between the output of secondary and higher education and the competencies demanded by global industries,” Mukhtarudin said.
Under the cooperation, the P2MI Ministry will map competency requirements across various international industries, while the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology will develop and strengthen vocational programmes to prepare skilled Indonesian workers for overseas employment.
-EDUCATION TVET ASIA