"(Millennials and Gen Z) must have financial literacy and entrepreneurship as well as possess digital prowess and savviness that makes them easy to adapt to digital technologies. (They must also) maintain high social awareness," Jokowi noted in his remarks during the "Millennials Upgrade Week" event observed here on Wednesday.
According to the president, Indonesia's millennials, born in 1981-1996, totaled 69 million, equivalent to 25.87 percent of Indonesia's 270-million population, while the number of people from Generation Z has reached 75 million and equal to 27.9 percent of the population.
With the two young generations constituting majority of the Indonesian population, Indonesian millennials and Generation Z will shape the nation's future, he stated.
The president remarked that financial literacy is important for the millennials and Generation Z to assist them in good financial planning and balance consumption and investment activities.
The young generation must also have entrepreneurship capability to lessen their dependence on work availability, and instead, be the source of new jobs for the community, he noted.
"We need more entrepreneurs (in Indonesia) that will match characters of our youth that are endowed with a creative and risk-taking spirit, adaptive, agile, and fond to try new things," Jokowi stated.
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Jokowi echoed the government's commitment to facilitating capital access through the Pre-Work Card Programme benefits that could serve as initial capital for the youth to start new businesses.
The president also urged that Indonesian youth should not be left behind in digital technology, as all aspects of society, such as education, transportation, investment, commerce, and healthcare, are currently dependent on the digital ecosystem.
"The current situation compels us to be digitally literate and not be digitally backwards that can result in us missing out on various opportunities (in the digital technology aspect)," Jokowi remarked.
Indonesian millennials and Generation Z must also develop future skills, learn emerging skills, and have high confidence to compete with global talents, he affirmed.
"Hence, we will be the pride of our family, the community, the nation, and the country," the president stated.
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Translator: Indra Arief P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Suharto
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