Jakarta (ANTARA) - Executive Director of the Pre-Employment Card Program Denni Puspa Purbasari called on workers over 30 years of age to always strive to hone their skills in order to remain relevant in the job market.

At an event held here on Thursday, Purbasari remarked that workers in their 30s are in a vulnerable situation, as they will compete with young graduates having greater familiarity with newer knowledge.

"Workers in their 30s, do not take it easy. Prepare and upgrade your skills. You will compete with young fresh graduates, who are more agile with their knowledge, while you still hold on to the knowledge of 10 years ago when you completed college," she pointed out.

Purbasari said, this condition applies to all members of the workforce, both blue-collar and white-collar workers.

She highlighted that outsourced workers in that age bracket also face the risk of non-renewal of work contracts.

Changes in the business landscape are occurring at a swifter pace due to global disruptions, including geopolitical, technological, and health disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that can occur sporadically.

Hence, the workforce is demanded to always be ready to face changes, she emphasized.

According to Purbasari, there are several new career opportunities for workers to seize. However, workers often find a mismatch between the skills required and the skill sets they possess.

In addressing this issue, the government has offered several opportunities for members of the workforce aged 18-64 years to enhance their skills through upskilling and acquire new skills via reskilling through training provided in the Pre-Employment Program.

Moreover, she said, the key to achieving success in a career lies with every individual.

"Pre-Employment (Program) provides access to new skills that the market needs. However, the key to success lies in each worker," she affirmed.

According to the Statistics Indonesia (BPS) data, the percentage of workforce that participated in the Pre-Employment Program increased, from 10.25 percent in 2020 to 19.08 percent in 2023.

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Translator: Rizka K, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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