Ministry of Manpower Shifts Vocational Training Direction, Focusing on Needs of SEZs and National Strategic Projects

The government is beginning to shift the direction of vocational training to make it more aligned with industrial needs. This step is being taken after identifying gaps between training graduates and workforce requirements in Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Minister of Manpower Yassierli stated that the 2026 National Vocational Training Programme (NVP) will be focused on supporting workforce needs in SEZs and National Strategic Projects (NSPs). “So we want the vocational trainings we conduct, including internships later, to be more matched, closer to the needs of SEZs or NSPs,” Yassierli said at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs office on Thursday (23/4/2026). “So there are SEZs that say, ‘hey, we need training directed here’, but the centres under the Ministry of Manpower are not fully ready, or too far from our needs,” he added. The government is now beginning to map industrial needs in more detail. Cross-ministerial coordination is also being strengthened, including with the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs and SEZ managers. The new scheme is directed so that graduates are directly absorbed into the workforce. Industry-based internship programmes are one of the main focuses. The government is preparing a quota of around 60,000 vocational training participants. The internship programme will be placed in 25 SEZs with various industrial sectors. “So those we train vocationally can directly work, including preparations when the internship is implemented, we also want the participants to gain real industry experience,” Yassierli said. “Because we also want this 2026 internship, when rolled out, to be evenly distributed throughout Indonesia. As distribution, there are a total of 25 SEZs, with all kinds of variations,” he emphasised. In the initial stage, NVP Batch I 2026 has been followed by 10,405 participants. This programme is spread across 21 Training Centres (TCs), 13 training units under the Directorate General of Vocational Training and Productivity Development, and 46 Regional Technical Implementation Unit TCs (TIU). “This programme is designed to link and match with industrial needs. Our focus is to improve skills so that graduates can be absorbed into the workforce,” Yassierli said. The government hopes this new approach will transform the function of vocational training. Graduates will not stop at certificates. Graduates are expected to directly enter the job market, especially in industrial areas that are still short of ready-to-use labour.