"This strategic step is in accordance with the priority programs in the Making Indonesia 4.0 roadmap. We are ready to develop reliable human resources who can keep up with the current development of the 4.0 industry," Head of Industrial Human Resources Development at the Industry Ministry, Arus Gunawan, said.
Skilled human resources are key for boosting industry capabilities, aside from investment and technology, he pointed out in Jakarta on Monday.
"In this case, Indonesia has a large capital from the availability of productive human resources, given it is enjoying a demographic bonus period until 2030," he said.
Under Making Indonesia 4.0, the nation is targeting to be among the 10 countries with the strongest economies in the world by 2030, he said. Therefore, the Industry Ministry has initiated many programs and activities related to industrial vocational education, he added.
Gunawan also said his agency has been encouraging several parties to strengthen Indonesian human resources, particularly in the industrial sector.
"With collaboration among stakeholders, the desired goals will be more easily implemented and on target," he added.
One such collaboration was a webinar themed 'Gender Responsive Vocational Education', he informed. It was jointly held by the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency of the Industry Ministry and Prospera (Indonesia-Australia partnership program for the economy).
The webinar was aimed to highlight the strategic role of women in national development, particularly in the development of industrial vocational education, he added.
Meanwhile, Head of Industrial Vocational Education Development at the Industry Ministry Iken Retnowulan said Prospera has carried out a gender-based assessment of education units within the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency by conducting an initial analysis of data on lecturers, teachers and students, as well as study programs.
"The results of the data review will later be used as a basis for further policy-making for the development of industrial vocational in accordance with industry needs, especially in terms of realizing gender equality in various study programs so that female graduates who work in the industrial sector also become contributors in increasing GDP in Indonesia," she explained.
Retnowulan deemed gender equality necessary in Indonesia.
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"According on the McKinsey Global Institute Report (2015), a 10-percent growth in gender equality is believed to be able to increase GDP by US$135 million in 2025 compared to business-as-usual conditions," she said.
According to Eni Widiyanti from the Women's Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, the role of women in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field is still lacking. Women are also less involved in the technology sector, she noted.
“According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), there were around 57 percent of women who left their jobs (in the sector). Thus, we need a flexible future job design to help women in doing their jobs,” Widiyanti stressed.
Meanwhile, lead advisor of Markets Prospera, Julia Tijaja, said that the digital potential can be optimized for traditional sectors, such as for ensuring higher women's participation in vocational education.
“In the future, the participation of the industry will be very important. This collaboration is something we need to optimize,” he explained.
Julia said he expects the efforts made by the Industry Ministry and its partners to increase the role of women in supporting industrial growth, driving the household economy, and forming a young generation with a strong character.
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Translator: Sella Panduarsa G, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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