Poor to get mobile training units<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto launched a mobile vocational
\ntraining program yesterday to help people in impoverished areas
\ncreate jobs for themselves.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Manpower has provided 370 vans as mobile
\ntraining units for the 1997\/1998 fiscal year to train a minimum
\nof 35,000 job-seekers in villages across all 27 provinces except
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Yayasan Dana Sejahtera Mandiri, a foundation chaired by
\nSoeharto which focuses on helping the poor, also pledged to give
\nanother 400 vehicles to the program.<\/p>\n
\"This program aims to facilitate poor families in rural areas
\nraise their standard of living,\" Soeharto said in his speech at
\nthe program's inauguration ceremony at his Bina Graha office.<\/p>\n
According to the President, improved training in rural areas
\nwould help curb urbanization because villagers could work in
\ntheir own villages.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said the free vocational
\ntraining the program offered included skills needed for fruit
\nprocessing, fishing, tailoring, making handicrafts, and repairing
\nelectronic goods.<\/p>\n
The program costs US$25 million. The funding was provided by a
\nsoft loan from the South Korean government under a bilateral
\nagreement.<\/p>\n
The instructors will stay at least two weeks in each village
\nthey visit.\"The people will be trained according their talents
\nand market demand,\" Latief said.<\/p>\n
This program is a part of the government's integrated efforts
\nto alleviate poverty in Indonesia, where at least 22.5 million
\npeople were still living in poverty in 1996.<\/p>\n
The government is determined to completely eradicate poverty
\nby the end of the Seventh Five-Year Development Program in 2004,
\nSoeharto said last month.<\/p>\n
Yayasan Dana Sejahtera Mandiri has collected more than Rp
\n768.6 billion (US$320.25 million) from the country's richest
\ncitizens over the last two years.<\/p>\n
\"We will give another 400 vehicles to the manpower ministry to
\naccelerate the program,\" the foundation's deputy chairman Haryono
\nSuyono said.<\/p>\n
\"After completing their training, we will provide them with
\ncheap credit to start their business,\" Haryono, who is state
\nminister of population, said.<\/p>\n
Latief said Indonesia would have a work-force of 105 million
\nby 2000, of whom 83 percent would have only an elementary school
\neducation or be dropouts. Most would be living in rural areas.<\/p>\n
\"Their production must be market-oriented, and it is our duty
\nto train them,\" said Latief. (06)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poor-to-get-mobile-training-units-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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