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