Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The government will prepare a special "Mental Revolution" training program for state administrators and civil servants to meet the needs of the current era of globalization, especially the industrial revolution 4.0, a senior minister stated.

"It is now time for us to change our mindset to meet the challenges of the industrial revolution 4.0 and how we can work as a team. Initially, we will invite a thousand participants. We have 34 ministries, and we may just divide the number among them. The president wants all echelons and ministries to be represented," Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan noted in a written statement received here on Saturday following a coordination meeting at his office on the plan.

Hence, the training program will not only be for echelon 1, 2, 3, and 4 levels but also ministries, private parties, and non-governmental organizations, he revealed.

It is expected that all parties will participate in the program to reach a common consensus on the right mindset or actions to be taken to ensure the nation`s progress, he noted.

Pandjaitan remarked that the idea emerged following President Joko Widodo`s call for an agreement on the right mindset and steps to be undertaken to meet the challenges of the current era of digital technology.

"Hence, it is about how we can keep pace with rapid technological developments in the industrial revolution 4.0 and how to ensure orderly management and teamwork. Now, if we are unaware of the technology, we will all drift apart," he explained.

Seconding Pandjaitan`s view, Coordinating Minister for Economy Darmin Nasution has highlighted the need for making adequate preparations for ensuring the success of the program. He expressed concern over the fact that several people were still not ready, especially if they were only speaking of theory and not putting it into practice.

"We may not just think like business as usual. If we rely on theory, it will certainly not work, and so, direct training is needed," he explained.

The mental revolution program has been designed after the one successfully applied by the Ministry of Manpower to improve competence and skills of the Indonesian workforce in meeting the challenges of the industrial revolution 4.0.

The government will rope in quality trainers from Tsinghua University in China, Massachusets Institute of Technology of the United States, and Temasek in Singapore.

Details of the program are to be finalized in April before being implemented in May this year.

The meeting was also attended by Industry Minister Airlangga Hartarto, Research and Technology Minister Muhammad Natsir, Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri, Communication and Information Minister Rudiantara, Governor of the National Defense Institute (Lemhanas) Agus Widjojo, representatives from ministries and institutions, and Professor Otto Scharmer from MIT Boston.

Reported by Ade Irma Junida
(H-YH/INE)
(T.SYS/B/KR-BSR/A/H-YH)

Reporter: SYSTEM
Editor: Heru Purwanto
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