Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (Kemenkop UKM) will utilize the government's Kampus Merdeka (Freedom Campus) Program to enhance the capacity of cooperative administrators.

The ministry intends to implement the training program by offering subjects related to accounting, digitalization, and exports for cooperative administrators. Additionally, a bootcamp will be provided to managers to help them formulate measurable business plans.

"Increasing the competence of cooperative managers is aimed at fostering public trust in cooperatives and anticipating various challenges that may arise," said Nasrun Siagian, the ministry's Assistant Deputy for Cooperative Human Resource Development, during a discussion with the Cooperative Journalists Forum (Forwakop) in Jakarta on Sunday.

Siagian explained that the government will shift its focus from traditional in-class training courses to more comprehensive and integrated activities. This includes forming pilot cooperatives where participants will receive basic training on cooperative management.

"We are shifting our focus towards providing more practical coaching, assistance programs, and apprenticeships," he emphasized.

He said that professional instructors will be assigned to directly supervise new cooperatives. The goal is to guide these cooperatives in their growth and development.

"We will assign instructors, including experts, to assist the new cooperatives for a period of four to six months, providing guidance on how to become strong and sustainable cooperatives," he explained.

Siagian affirmed that the ministry is committed to supporting the new cooperatives by providing them with sufficient budgets to facilitate their growth.

"Cooperative administrators are enthusiastic about participating in the Kampus Merdeka Program," he added.

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Translator: Kuntum Khaira, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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