Indonesia pushes to expand placement of skilled workers on cruise ships

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pushing to expand the placement of skilled Indonesian workers into several strategic sectors, including the global cruise ship industry. “The cruise ship industry is a global sector that continues to grow and requires quality manpower in various fields,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno during the Ambassadors’ Dialogue: Unlocking Indonesia’s Potential in the Global Cruise Industry Workforce on Tuesday (9/6). According to a statement from the ministry on Wednesday (10/6), some of the job fields required in the industry include hospitality, culinary arts, engineering, and operational management. Havas said Indonesia has proven capable of producing competent, adaptive, and highly competitive workers to meet international labour market demands. “Indonesia is ready to meet global manpower needs and has a vision to develop as a global talent hub,” said Deputy Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Christina Aryani. According to her, Indonesia possesses strong human resource capital, with more than 108,000 vocational school graduates in hospitality, more than 21,000 students in maritime vocational schools, and more than 5,600 vocational school graduates in commercial shipping who have the potential to fill manpower needs in the international cruise ship sector. The dialogue, organised by the Foreign Ministry, brought together representatives from the embassies of partner countries, particularly from the European Union region, cruise industry players, educational, training, and certification institutions, as well as relevant ministries and agencies. Participants discussed identifying concrete steps to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian workers, while also examining opportunities, challenges, and the needs of the global cruise industry. Participants highlighted the importance of strengthening English language competency for prospective cruise ship workers, improving the quality of vocational education and training aligned with industry needs, and identifying and resolving issues regarding worker mobility. They also highlighted the need to strengthen governance and protection for Indonesian migrant workers to ensure a safe, legal, and sustainable placement process. Meanwhile, ambassadors and representatives of friendly countries responded positively to the dialogue. In general, they expressed support and readiness to collaborate, including on strengthening language competency, developing skills in line with international industry standards, and exploring closer cooperation between educational, training, and industry institutions in Indonesia and partners in European countries.