President Witnesses Declaration Of National Apprenticeship Movement

Karawang, W Java (Antara Bali) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) witnessed the declaration of a national apprenticeship movement in the Karawang International Industrial Estate in West Java on Friday, aimed at improving the quality and competitiveness of Indonesian human resources.

"We must improve the quality of our human resources' skills so that the demographic bonus is not rendered useless," the president said in his address to the declaration of the national apprenticeship movement.

Indonesia must groom high-quality human resources that allow the nation to make rapid progress in catching up with other countries and regaining its competitive edge, he stated.

In addition, the country also has to create more job opportunities to absorb these human resources optimally, he remarked.

"Therefore, the national apprenticeship movement must run in parallel to investment inflows in the country. Without foreign and domestic investment, we will not be able to create jobs," he stressed.

He noted that the government will cooperate with a number of industrial associations and companies, including the Indonesian Businessmen Association and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to facilitate the national apprenticeship movement.

"The vast majority of our population, who are now at a productive age, must serve as development and innovation actors. Don't let the demographic bonus turn into groups of unemployed persons. That must be avoided," he stressed.

Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri said on Wednesday that Indonesia is forecast to become the world's seventh largest economy in 2030 if it can create 113 million skilled workers in the next 14 years.  (WDY)