Government urged to better vocational training<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Labor exporters are calling on the government to
\nmaximize the country's 153 training centers to train adequately
\nthose people seeking work overseas.<\/p>\n
The president of labor supply company PT Binawan Duta Pratama,
\nSaleh Alwaini, criticized the government for doing little to
\nimprove the quality of workers, especially those supplied
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
\"Labor exporters have decided not to train workers before
\nsending them abroad due to financial and political problems.
\nTraining programs need a huge investment and the present
\npolitical situation is not conducive for such an investment,\" he
\nsaid here.<\/p>\n
He said Indonesia would likely loose out in the fierce
\ncompetition with other labor-exporting countries to grab a share
\nof the international labor market unless the quality of its
\nworkers was improved.<\/p>\n
\"So far, labor exporters have exported only maids, mostly
\nfemale, because our workers are not competitive. Many foreign
\ncountries prefer to recruit maids from the Philippines because
\nthey are skilled in housekeeping and can work more
\nindependently,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the demand for semiskilled workers remained high in
\nEurope, the Middle East, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, Singapore and
\nMalaysia, but Indonesia could not meet this demand because of the
\nlow quality of its human resources.<\/p>\n
Saleh, the owner of the Binawan Group, said Indonesia, with
\nits 100-million-strong workforce of mostly elementary school
\ngraduates, would have difficulty competing in the era of free
\ntrade unless training centers and institutions were empowered to
\nproduce skilled workers and professionals.<\/p>\n
\"The unemployment rate (in the country) has reached around 40
\nmillion and this will have a negative impact in terms of social
\nproblems and crime at home,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The chairman of the Association of Indonesian Labor Exporters,
\nAbdulla Umar, criticized Minister of Manpower Bomer Pasaribu and
\nother officials at the ministry for not focusing adequate
\nattention on the country's deplorable labor situation.<\/p>\n
\"Bomer has done nothing other than secure his current position
\nover the last nine months. He has made numerous foreign trips but
\nhas yet to make any policy to boost the export of labor,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The director general for labor training and productivity, Yudo
\nSwasono, conceded the Ministry of Manpower had yet to establish a
\nnational policy to make use of the training centers to improve
\nthe skills of the country's workers.<\/p>\n
This in part, he said, was due to financial constraints and a
\npast lack of cooperation among the directorates at the ministry.<\/p>\n
\"So far, we have formulated no plan to make use of the
\ntraining centers for labor exports, and the numerous training
\ncenters cannot function properly because of the small amount of
\nmoney allocated in the state budget for training programs and the
\nabsence of modern equipment to train ready-for-use workers,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He noted the government allocated only Rp 33 billion for
\nworker training programs in the 2000-20001 state budget, adding
\nthat a lack of cooperation among the ministry's directorates in
\nthe past hindered efforts to enhance the quality of workers sent
\noverseas.<\/p>\n
\"The labor placement directorate has never consulted with the
\nlabor training and productivity directorate to design a plan to
\nmake use of the training centers to train workers who want to
\nwork overseas,\" he said.<\/p>\n
A legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan), Marle Aberson Sihaloho, attacked the government
\nfor failing to exploit the training centers to produce skilled
\nworkers, saying vocational training programs were needed to boost
\nthe export of labor and produce greater numbers of entrepreneurs.<\/p>\n
\"In facing the prolonged crisis, private and state-run
\ntraining centers should be encouraged to provide vocational
\ntraining to the unemployed, including dismissed workers, to boost
\nthe export of labor and strengthen the private sector at home,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
He said that according to the Constitution, the government had
\nan obligation to provide job opportunities, education and
\nvocational training for the people. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-urged-to-better-vocational-training-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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