Yogyakarta aim to give jobs to degree holders<\/p>\n
Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Getting a job was the only thing Dwi Krisdianto wished and prayed
\nfor after he graduated from Semarang's Diponegoro University
\nschool of law in 2001.<\/p>\n
The native of Srigading village in Bantul, Yogyakarta sent
\ncountless application letters, but did not get any reply.<\/p>\n
"I'm tired of applying for work but if I don't try, what will
\nI do," the 29-year-old told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He said that after graduation, he tried to find work in
\nSemarang for four months but when he ran out of money and there
\nwas no work in sight, he had to go back to Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
Two years on, he decided to run a poultry business but it went
\nbankrupt after all the chickens died of bird flu. Now, Dwi still
\nhas no job.<\/p>\n
"I wish the government could create jobs so I can work, or
\noffer unemployed people like me a soft loan to start a business,"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Yunanto, 28, is a graduate of a reputable private university
\nin Yogyakarta. After graduating in late 2003, he has applied for
\nmany jobs but with no result.<\/p>\n
"I spent a lot of money to study, now that I've graduated,
\nit's so hard to find work. Even to work in a factory I have to
\npay, especially to become a civil servant, you have to pay
\nmillions. How can poor people like me get that much money," he
\ncomplained.<\/p>\n
Popularly known across the country as a university city,
\nYogyakarta has the second highest unemployment rate among
\nuniversity graduates after Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Currently, 232,000 out of the 700,000 people in the province
\nwho are unemployed have university degrees or diplomas.<\/p>\n
"The high rate of unemployment among university graduates here
\ncauses serious concern since it's among the highest in the
\ncountry," said the Yogyakarta provincial secretary Bambang
\nSusanto Priohadi.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, he said, the number of educated but unemployed
\npeople reached around 500,000. But for Yogyakarta, a province of
\nonly just over three million people, the figure is very high.
\nJakarta is a city of over 10 million people. "Compared to other
\nbig cities, it's a very high rate," Bambang said.<\/p>\n
Many of the unemployed, he said, came from universities in
\nYogyakarta, although not all of them were originally from the
\nprovince. Many of the unemployed people came from other provinces
\nbut opted to stay on in the city, he added.<\/p>\n
"Although they've graduated, they have not gone back to their
\nhometowns and are still staying here, looking for work," Bambang
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
In order to cope with the problem, he said the local
\ngovernment was currently inviting investors to develop several
\nareas like Bantul, Kulonprogro and Sleman regencies.<\/p>\n
"Currently, several investors have shown an interest to invest
\nand in the coming two years, we hope to lower the unemployment
\nrate among degree-holders by 30 percent," Bambang said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/yogyakarta-aim-to-give-jobs-to-degree-holders-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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