Job training program in Japan pays off

Job training program in Japan pays off

JAKARTA (JP): The industrial apprenticeship program for young
Indonesians in Japan is paying dividends, not only for Indonesia
but also for the Japanese companies, it was disclosed yesterday.

Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief yesterday met with 124
Indonesians, who recently returned from Japan after completing
their two-year apprenticeships, at his office to review the
program.

Latief said the apprentices studied the Japanese corporate
culture, one of the key elements behind the Japanese industrial
success story.

This is in addition to learning and developing skills in their
respective areas of expertise, he pointed out.

But more than that, the government was encouraged by the
positive response from the Japanese companies which provided the
industrial training program, Director General for Training and
Productivity Affairs Andi M. Sangaji, who was present at the
meeting, said.

The Japanese companies have asked for more Indonesian
trainees, Sangaji said.

"This program will continue because it is bringing numerous
advantages both to the apprentices and the Japanese companies,"
Latief said.

The apprenticeship program was launched two years ago, jointly
sponsored by the ministry and the Japanese Association for
International Manpower Development of Small- and Medium-scale
Companies.

Some 2,000 Indonesians, selected from high schools and
technical high schools, were sent to take part in the program.
Before leaving for Japan, they were given a three-month
intensive course of the Japanese language.

"The apprentices should share their experiences and knowledge
with fellow workers when they begin working in Indonesia," Latief
said. "They should show the working ethos and discipline that
they have learned in Japan."

One of the returning apprentices, Marwan, 23, said he learned
a lot from the program.

Marwan, who was employed at a pipe manufacturing company in
Osaka, said he plans to open a pipe system service in his home
town in Palembang, South Sumatra.

He said he managed to save Rp 20 million from bonuses and
wages he received during his training in Japan. "The money will
be enough for the first capital outlay."

Besides receiving three-month bonuses and monthly payments,
the apprentices were given certificates in recognition of their
skill at the end of the program.

"With the certificate, I can also seek work with Japanese
companies in Indonesia," Marwan said. (rms)