"Other countries are learning from the Prakerja Card program and replicating its system. For instance, the Government of Cambodia is emulating our program to assist 1.5 million workers," the minister remarked in his office, Jakarta, on Thursday.
Hartarto noted that Thailand, Morocco, and the Malaysian State of Sarawak are in the process of studying the system of the Prakerja Card to replicate the program.
The minister then underlined that the pre-employment program had assisted 18.9 million people since its inception in April 2020.
Furthermore, he drew attention to the program's inclusiveness, saying that it provides equal opportunities to people from vulnerable groups, such as women, underprivileged families, people with disabilities, and also those residing in frontier, outermost, and disadvantaged regions.
Under the program, he affirmed that each participant is offered a training scholarship worth Rp3.5 million (US$227) that can be used to enroll in online, offline, and independent training courses offered by the government.
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Considering Prakerja's huge benefits, he expressed hope that the incoming administration would be willing to continue implementing the program for the 2024-2029 period.
Hartarto, concurrently serving as interim manpower minister, then stressed that the next government has the final say on the continuation of the program.
"However, talks (about the program's continuation) are still on," he noted.
Earlier, on Wednesday (October 2), Executive Director of the Prakerja Card Program Management Denni Puspa Purbasari noted that the program had been assisting Indonesians in getting employed.
She also spotlighted that essentially, the program does not only cater to the needs of job seekers but also assists people in switching careers or starting a business.
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Translator: Imamatul Silfia, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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