Indonesia ready to supply migrant workers for global cruise industry

Jakarta - Deputy Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) Christina Aryani has stated that Indonesia is ready to become a strategic partner in meeting the demand for skilled labour in the rapidly expanding global cruise ship industry. The statement was made during the Ambassador’s Dialogue: Unlocking Indonesia’s Potential in Global Cruise Industry Workforce, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta on Tuesday. “This is a strategic momentum considering the global cruise industry is experiencing growth, marked by the addition of new fleets, the opening of new cruise routes, and an increasing need for quality hospitality services,” Christina said. According to Christina, this situation opens significant opportunities for Indonesian migrant workers to work in the international job market, and Indonesia is prepared to answer that need. As one of the countries with the largest demographic bonus in the world, Indonesia possesses a young, productive, and dynamic workforce with great potential to contribute to the global labour market. “Indonesian migrant workers have long been known for advantages that provide added value in the international service sector, such as friendliness, service-oriented discipline, and the ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment,” Christina said. With Indonesia’s experience in the tourism, hospitality, and maritime sectors, the Deputy Minister believes the country has a strong foundation to expand its role and contribution within the cruise industry. Based on information obtained from the Italian Ambassador, nearly 4,800 Indonesian migrant workers are currently employed in the cruise ship sector in that country. “One of the challenges is strengthening English language skills, as well as preparing talent to fill higher positions such as supervisory and managerial levels, which require technical competence, professional experience, leadership capacity, and globally recognised certification,” she said. The Ministry of P2MI continues to enhance the quality and protection of migrant workers through improving international-standard vocational education, increasing language and professional competencies, and expanding access to international certification. The ministry is also building stronger partnerships with the cruise industry and destination countries. “We also have the Migrant Center as a Global Talent Development Hub that integrates talent identification, vocational training, certification, job matching, migration information, worker protection, and labour market intelligence within one integrated ecosystem,” Christina said. Currently, the Ministry of P2MI has developed 23 Migrant Centers across various regions to support the development of Indonesia’s global talent. “Through this dialogue forum, we invite ambassadors, international partners, and cruise industry players to strengthen cooperation in curriculum development, training programmes, international internships, certification, recruitment of skilled Indonesian workers, and investment in world-class training facilities,” she said. “Through Migrant Centers and strong international partnerships, Indonesia is ready to contribute to building a future cruise ship workforce that is competent, professional, resilient, and globally competitive,” Christina Aryani added.