"We intervened by pushing for empowerment of independent workers and also through competency improvement programs in vocational training," the minister remarked during the Employment Opportunity Expansion Program Expo, where assistance was also allocated for the independent workforce in Jayapura, on Friday.
Existing programs in the Manpower Ministry, such as expediting job opportunities, are aimed at reducing the chronic poverty rate in seven provinces and 35 districts and cities prioritized by the government, Fauziyah informed.
Among the priority provinces are Papua and West Papua, she noted. These programs could also provide opportunities for people in the two provinces to properly face the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
"Hopefully, with these two interventions, we want to make a definite (or tangible) contribution to (efforts in) reducing poverty in Papua and West Papua," she remarked.
In addition to reducing poverty, she said the ministry also wants to hone and increase the skills and competence of the Papua and West Papua people.
"In the end, with these competencies, we can prepare competent workers to penetrate the job market or become independent workers," Fauziyah said.
At the expo, the Manpower Minister also allocated assistance under the ministry's 2020 and 2021 job opportunity expansion programs for the Papua region, which comprised 61 packages of Beginner TKM assistance for 2020 and 36 packages for 2021 as well as 11 packages of Micro Beginner TKM assistance.
Related news: Indonesian crew members trapped in modern slavery at sea: Minister
Related news: 71.44% village funds disbursed to tackle poverty: minister
Translator: Prisca T V, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2021
