KP2MI and Ministry of Agriculture prepare migrant workers for agricultural sector
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (KP2MI) and the Ministry of Agriculture are working to prepare prospective Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) for the agricultural sector to meet labour demands in the global market, particularly in Japan.
“The demand for labour in the agricultural sector abroad is quite significant. There are approximately 3,878 job opportunities available in various locations, including Malaysia, Taiwan, and several countries in Europe,” said Deputy Minister of P2MI Christina Aryani in a KP2MI press release in Jakarta, Thursday (1/10).
These efforts were discussed during an online dialogue between Deputy Minister of P2MI Christina Aryani and the Head of the Agency for Agricultural Extension and Human Resources Development (BPPSDMP) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Idha Widi Arsanti, on Wednesday (30/9).
According to Christina, these needs must be prepared and integrated from within the country, including coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture to meet labour requirements in accordance with the competencies and placement requirements of destination regions, such as Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
“We will develop a pilot project for the preparation and placement of agricultural workers abroad. This will range from identifying labour needs, recruitment, training, language proficiency, and certification to final placement,” Christina stated.
“In the future, agricultural education and training institutions will become centres for talent preparation before prospective workers undergo the placement process,” she added.
The Deputy Minister of P2MI noted that the vast opportunities for placing migrant workers in the agricultural sector must be accompanied by the preparation of a workforce possessing the necessary skills, language abilities, understanding of work culture, and certifications that meet the requirements of destination countries.
“In this way, they will possess the required competencies, understand the work culture of the destination country, and can work safely and with protection,” said Christina.
Furthermore, the BPPSDMP of the Ministry of Agriculture explained existing agricultural training programmes, which include the placement of hundreds of graduates in the agricultural sector through the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) scheme.
Christina believes that this experience serves as an important foundation for expanding collaboration in preparing Indonesian agricultural talent, especially as the demand for agricultural labour in several destination countries continues to rise.