Firms asked to aid apprentices

JAKARTA (JP): Deputy Governor for Social Welfare Museno has invited both government institutions and private companies to join the city apprenticeship program, which aims to provide high school students with work experience during their holidays.

"I hope more institutions and companies will be willing to accept as many students as possible so as to avoid a waiting list like that encountered during an earlier program," Museno said yesterday.

He said that, as the number of students continues to increase, employers' willingness to temporarily employ the young people would be warmly welcomed.

Over 25,000 students have registered for the program, which was introduced for the first time in 1989 during the school holiday season. This year the program will be held between June 19 and July 15.

Museno said the city administration fully supports the program because, he said, it gives students a chance to apply what they learn at school in the "real world".

"This program is very positive, especially for students whose parents do not arrange for them to spend the holidays with their relatives," Museno said.

Kusnan Ismukanto, head of the Jakarta branch of the education and culture ministry, said 27 government institutions and 15 private companies had agreed to participate in the program.

"Unfortunately, this number is not enough to accommodate all the students who have registered for the program and I am still waiting for others," Kusnan said, adding that the office still had the waiting list, consisting of 4,000 names, from the program in the February holiday season.

"The students on that list will be given priority for the next holiday program," he said.

Kusnan explained most students were interested in the apprenticeship program because it gave them a chance to work and to earn some money.

"The institutions most popular with the students (who participate in the program) are department stores because, apart from receiving some payment, there is also a possibility that they will receive permanent employment in the stores after they have finished school," Kusnan said.

Happily, executives of the Indonesian Retailers Association, which groups large department stores, have said they intend to take part in the program.

"The association estimates that it can accommodate about 7,500 students in its member stores," Kusnan said, adding that in Jakarta alone the association has 29 members. (yns)