Maluku Provincial Government Optimises BPVP to Train a Competitive Workforce

Ambon (ANTARA) - The Maluku Provincial Government is maximizing the role of the Vocational Training and Productivity Centre (BPVP) as a hub for improving workforce skills to produce human resources that are competent and highly competitive in the labour market. M. Rizal Latuconsina, head of the Maluku Office for Labour and Transmigration, in Ambon on Tuesday, said the BPVP’s existence is one of the important instruments in strengthening the province’s employment ecosystem, as well as a strategic step to reduce unemployment to an optimal level. “The Maluku Provincial Government, in various activities, focuses on improving the quality of the workforce through competency-based training. This is important to optimise the potential of jobseekers, thus enhancing the quality of the regional workforce,” he said. He added that the regional government continues to push the development of vocational training through BPVP so that jobseekers possess competencies in line with world industry standards. He admitted that there have been issues with link and match between the trained workforce and labour market needs on the ground. “Another problem is the lack of link and match that the workers we train are not proportional to the needs of the labour market. Therefore the governor has directed the creation of a well-functioning employment ecosystem in Maluku to meet labour market needs,” he said. Rizal explained that the Maluku provincial government is also building partnerships with various parties, including oil and gas contractors, to provide internationally certified training for BPVP participants. “We are forming partnerships with third parties such as oil and gas contractors who also hold international training certifications, ensuring our workforce quality meets industry needs,” he said. He urged Maluku’s youth to make full use of BPVP facilities and training programmes, as the institution is supported by the national government through the APBN to create a work-ready workforce. Meanwhile, the Maluku Province Statistics Agency (BPS) noted that the Open Unemployment Rate (TPT) in Maluku in February 2026 fell to 5.80 percent, 0.15 percentage points lower than the same period a year earlier. Head of BPS Maluku Maritje Pattiwaellapia said the decrease indicates an improvement in labour absorption in the region.