"Our primary task is empowerment, and the most effective empowerment is through the youth. (It is) because their resilience is crucial for our future," he remarked in Jakarta on Tuesday.
He stated that youth empowerment efforts are consistent with Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025, which mandates non-governmental participation in poverty alleviation.
These empowerment efforts also aim to leverage the demographic bonus to achieve the vision of Golden Indonesia 2045.
Hence, Iskandar also urged all parties to collaborate in overcoming all challenges involved in maximizing Indonesia's demographic bonus.
"We still have a very strong demographic bonus. Time is limited, only seven years left. Hence, whether we like it or not, let us sit down together and find a solution to ensure this demographic bonus for young people is truly productive," he affirmed.
He further explained that accelerating the absorption of a productive workforce, including by implementing an apprenticeship scheme for educated workers in partnership with the private sector, is one way to capitalize on Indonesia's demographic bonus.
He expressed optimism that the apprenticeship scheme could help resolve the employment mismatch that hampers the absorption of educated workers.
"Together with our colleagues, we will promote apprenticeships, allowing companies to provide training opportunities for new entrants to the workforce," he stated.
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Translator: Anita Permata Dewi, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Primayanti
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