The global halal economy is entering a new phase. On one hand, the\nconnectivity of cross-border certification continues to grow. At the 5th\nSummit of Halal 20, 15 Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA) were\nrecorded, connecting certification bodies from 48 countries. The global\nIslamic economic value is also projected to rise from US$2.60 trillion\nin 2024 to US$3.56 trillion by 2029.<\/p>\n
These figures provide reason for optimism. However, there is a much\nmore fundamental question: when halal certificates are recognised across\nborders, do the workers who ensure the halal process receive the same\nrecognition?<\/p>\n
The answer, so far, is no. Products already have standards, audit\nprocedures, and recognition pathways. Meanwhile, halal process\nassistants, supervisors, auditors, slaughterers, and laboratory analysts\ndo not yet have equivalent global professional standards. As a result,\nhalal mobility is growing as the mobility of goods, rather than the\nmobility of people.<\/p>\n
This issue is critical because the halal economy rests upon millions\nof workers. Approximately 58% of the global workforce remains in the\ninformal sector. In Indonesia, this proportion reaches 59.42%, or more\nthan 87 million people. For them, halal certification does not\nautomatically translate into formal employment, access to finance, or\nincreased income.<\/p>\n
Herein lies the paradox. Indonesia possesses a large Muslim\npopulation and a demographic bonus. However, population size does not\nautomatically become a halal economic advantage. Malaysia, the United\nArab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia hold stronger positions in the Global\nIslamic Economy Indicator because they have built institutions,\nstandards, financing, and supporting ecosystems. Large nations with\nyoung workforces can still lag behind if their labour markets are unable\nto formally absorb skills.<\/p>\n
This gap is already visible in the classroom. In many Muslim\ncountries, halal education remains strong in aspects of jurisprudence\n(fiqh), but is not always connected to food science, laboratories,\nquality control, and industrial processes. Conversely, several exporting\nnations possess scientific and manufacturing capacities but lack\nadequate understanding of the application of halal jurisprudence.\nIndustry requires professionals who master both. Without the\nintersection of technical competence and halal understanding, the\nbusiness world only receives half of its required workforce.<\/p>\n
Our definition of \u2018halal talent\u2019 is also too narrow. To date, halal\ntalent has been represented by five professions: assistants,\nsupervisors, auditors, slaughterers, and laboratory analysts. All five\nare important, but they all exist at the upstream stage\u2014ensuring the\nhalality of the process. In reality, a growing and competitive halal\necosystem also requires halal supply chain specialists, halal assurance\nsystem managers, halal data analysts, halal fintech specialists, halal\nmarketing and branding specialists, halal export specialists, and halal\nregulation and compliance specialists.<\/p>\n
These are the professions that transform a certificate into added\nvalue in the market. Without them, certification remains merely a stamp\nrather than an engine of growth. A halal profession map containing only\nfive roles will produce a workforce for the industry we imagined ten\nyears ago, not the industry being formed today.<\/p>\n
Indonesia\u2019s certification targets clarify this urgency. The ambition\nto reach 14 million certified businesses by 2029 should be accompanied\nby targets for workforce requirements. However, this business target has\nnot progressed alongside a map of how many assistants, supervisors,\nauditors, technicians, quality personnel, and supply chain and export\nspecialists are needed.<\/p>\n
At the same time, unemployment among vocational school (SMK)\ngraduates stands at 7.74%, the highest compared to other education\nlevels. Without a clear absorption strategy, increased training risks\nmerely shifting unemployment from schools to job waiting rooms.<\/p>\n
The \u2018link and match\u2019 debate also needs to be reversed. Universities\nand vocational schools should not always be blamed when graduates\nstruggle to find employment. The problem often begins with\nmicro-enterprises that have not yet formalised. Businesses without legal\nidentity find it difficult to recruit officially, project labour needs,\nor build a business track record. When signals of labour demand do not\nappear, educational institutions are forced to guess which competencies\nshould be taught.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the narrative surrounding \u2018halal\u2019 needs to shift. So far,\nhalal is read solely as compliance: a requirement to be met so that a\nproduct may circulate. In fact, the H20 forum discusses not just\ncertification, but the growth of the halal economy.<\/p>\n
The formula needs to be expanded: halal is not just compliance, but\ncompliance plus productivity, market access, and competitiveness. A\nhalal assurance system implemented correctly actually forces businesses\nto document processes, control raw materials, and trace supply chains.\nAll of this constitutes quality management discipline that increases\nproductivity. Certificates recognised across borders open market access.\nThe combination of both generates competitiveness. When halal is\ninterpreted this way, investment in halal talent ceases to be a\ncompliance burden and becomes a productivity investment.<\/p>\n
Within this framework, halal certification must not stop at being a\ncompliance document. It must serve as an entry point to economic\nformalisation. The path is clear: business identity through NIB, halal\ncertification, financing, and then market access through procurement and\ndigital trade. These four stages must function as a single ladder. If\nbusiness owners are asked to climb one by one with high costs and risks,\nthey will choose to remain in the informal sector.<\/p>\n
Incentives need to be improved. Micro-enterprises will be willing to\nformalise when the cost of being formal is lower than the cost of\nremaining informal. The government can link licensing and certification\nto access\u2026<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/from-product-certification-to-halal-talent-mobility-1789959181", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }