RI mechanics go to ASEAN competition

RI mechanics go to ASEAN competition

JAKARTA: Automotive technicians Rahadian Daniel Hutabarat of
PT DaimlerChrysler Indonesia and Fery Gunawan of Dipo Service
will represent Indonesia at the 2004 ASEAN Skill Competition in
Hanoi in September.

Rahadian and Fery are the top graduates from a high-tech skill
apprentice program sponsored by PT DaimlerChrysler Indonesia in
Ciputat, Tangerang.

"At the (ASEAN) competition, we will be given six different
cars and not all of them will be Mercedes-Benz cars. We must
diagnose, repair or assemble the cars based on the assignment
given," Rahadian said on Wednesday after his graduation ceremony.

PT Daimler Chrysler Indonesia President Friedel Engisch said
since the training department was established in 1978, it had
turned out 627 skilled automobile mechanics, automotive
electricians and industrial machine mechanics.

"DaimlerChrysler products, which are designed by integrating
art and technology, develop very rapidly, with a focus on
electronics. The demands for accurate diagnostic procedures of a
vehicle's system are increasing due to those developments," he
said.

For the first time, DaimlerChrysler also staged a Mercedes-
Benz Skill Competition for local technicians last month, focusing
on diagnostic analyses of passenger cars covering engine
components, aggregates and the electronic system.

Meanwhile, an official with the manpower ministry in charge
of domestic manpower development, Tangsi Tarigan, said that such
apprentice training would help the country overcome its lack of
skilled manpower.

"At present, Indonesia only has around 267,000 skilled
technicians, while we need more than 3.2 million," he said. -- JP