Jakarta, 10 January 2023 – Microsoft, in a strategic partnership with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, has just launched Skills for Jobs Indonesia. This is a program that aims to provide free digital literacy, digital skills, and job preparation to at least one million Indonesians by 2024. Supported by non-for-profit partners Biji-biji Initiative and Mereka Academy as the implementing partners, Skills for Jobs Indonesia can be accessed through aka.ms/SfJIndonesia.
In this program, there are two online learning platforms that can be accessed for free, namely Pijar Mahir from the Pre-Work Card and e-Training from the Ministry of Manpower. Modules covered are including basic digital literacy, Microsoft Office for beginners, data analysis, project management, entrepreneurship, and many more. When learners have completed training modules and successfully passed the Microsoft certification, they can join SATU Talenta (aka.ms/ SATUTalenta).
SATU Talenta is a LinkedIn community where Indonesian digital talents who have Microsoft certification can meet with company partners and discuss various matters related to the professional world. Starting from sharing digital skills that are relevant to the industry needs, networking with companies or institutions, to sharing job vacancies. A number of companies, such as Telkomsigma, PT Intikom Berlian Mustika, PT Mitra Integrasi Informatika (“MII”), and Metrodata Academy—one of MII’s divisions focused in education, particularly in training and certification in the IT field—have joined SATU Talenta to look for digital talents needed in their respective companies.
Microsoft Indonesia Corporate Affairs Director Ajar Edi believes the best way to know if our world is developing positively is through inclusive economic growth; involving every country, group, organization, and individual in the economic wheel. For this inclusivity to happen, increasing access to digital skills becomes fundamental. “That is the reason we are partnering with the government and non-for-profit to launch Skills for Jobs Indonesia. We hope to reach as many Indonesians as possible, wherever they are,” said Ajar.
The modules prepared on these platforms, such as the basic use of Microsoft Office, is not without reason. According to International Data Corporation (IDC) between 2013-2020, there are 14.6 million job vacancies that require skills in using Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel and Word. Not only that, IDC also stated that the ability to use Microsoft Office is one of the three main skills that must be honed by a worker.
“Strengthening digital literacy and skills is the main step that we need to take to accelerate Indonesia’s digital transformation. This is important to support the fulfillment of 9 million digital talents by 2030 or equivalent to 600 thousand people per year. We hope Skills for Jobs Indonesia can help to fulfill the need for digital talents,” said Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs Expert Staff for Digital Transformation, Creativity and Human Resources Rizal Edwin.
In addition to targeting people in the general workforce, the Skills for Jobs Indonesia program also seeks to improve the skills and productivity of 500 government officials and civil servants. Within the last one month of training, this program has provided training to 385 trainers from the Ministry of Manpower of Indonesia, consists of the representatives from BLK (Job Training Centers), UPTD (Regional Technical Implementation Unit), UPT (Technical Implementation Unit), and BBPPV (Vocational and Productivity Training Centers) across Indonesia.
“We welcome and support the Microsoft Skills for Jobs Indonesia program. Not only society and community will have the opportunity to receive training for free, trainers throughout Indonesia also receive significant development from the ToT training provided through this program,” said the Ministry of Manpower Director of Instructor Development and Training Personnel Syamsi.
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