During a visit to the Bogor School of Chemical Analysis (SMAK Bogor) in West Java on Wednesday, Iskandar said the initiative provides additional training for SMK graduates to meet international labor market demands.
He said about 1.6 million SMK graduates remain unemployed nationwide, emphasizing that the program seeks to empower them through job placements both domestically and abroad.
President Prabowo Subianto, he added, has approved scholarships for participants committed to working overseas.
“We start by identifying target markets, assessing required skills, and improving language proficiency before deployment,” Iskandar said.
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According to Iskandar, global labor markets currently need between 300,000 and 500,000 vocational workers each year. The government aims to place between 200 and 1,000 SMK graduates abroad in the program’s first phase.
“If we can deploy even 200 to 1,000 graduates this year, that would already be an extraordinary achievement. What matters most is ensuring they are fully ready and qualified,” he said.
The Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment will coordinate with related ministries to oversee training, certification, and job placements, ensuring consistency at all stages.
“President Prabowo has also encouraged expanding the program’s capacity to send up to one million skilled vocational workers abroad,” Iskandar added.
The SMK Go Global program, launched by Iskandar in cooperation with the Ministry of Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection, is part of the government’s wider effort to strengthen vocational education and align it with international standards.
The program not only prepares students for global employment opportunities but also encourages them to plan their careers early to remain competitive in a changing workforce.
Related news: Indonesia prepares 500,000 SMK graduates for global jobs
Translator: M Fikri, Kuntum Khaira
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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