Minister: Digital Transformation a Momentum to Prepare Adaptive Human Resources

Manpower Minister Yassierli said that digital transformation, including the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and industrial dynamics, is a momentum to prepare superior and adaptive human resources (HR). In a statement in Jakarta on Thursday, the minister assessed that this momentum should also be utilised effectively so that Indonesia’s HR possesses relevant skills and is able to answer the ever-evolving needs of the job market. “My first message is that current technological changes are altering many things in the industry, but it is not actually eliminating professions; rather, it is eliminating the old ways of working,” Yassierli said. He further explained that the employment challenge is no longer limited to providing jobs. The government must also ensure the workforce has capabilities aligned with technological developments to meet the needs of the business and industrial world. To address this challenge, he said the Ministry of Manpower is continuously strengthening vocational training through upskilling and reskilling programmes, while expanding public access to various employment services. “I am responsible from the preparation of the workforce, their search for work in the industry, to delivering them upon the completion of their work. It is an ecosystem that we must build together,” Yassierli stated. This commitment is realised through the SIAPkerja platform, which integrates training services, competency certification, job vacancy information, and internship programmes in one digital ecosystem. He noted that this step is crucial because the development of AI, digital transformation, and the green economy are continuously changing workforce needs across various sectors. “This condition demands that every worker continue learning and improving their abilities to remain competitive,” he said. Furthermore, Yassierli assessed that higher education institutions need to adapt their curricula more quickly to industrial developments. “Graduates are not sufficiently equipped with just academic knowledge, but also with skills that match the needs of the job market,” the Manpower Minister said. “The industry is currently prioritising skills. What is assessed is not just the diploma, but what a person is truly capable of doing,” he added. He therefore urged the younger generation to start preparing for their careers while still in education. “Internship experience, training, competency certification, organisational activities, and portfolios are considered important provisions to increase competitiveness when entering the workforce,” he concluded.