SIL Festival Targets Exports and Job Expansion
Surabaya (ANTARA) - The Surabaya Industrial & Labour (SIL) Festival targets exports and job expansion as a multi-layered strategy to curb unemployment rates.
Head of the Surabaya Industry and Labour Office (Disperinaker), Agus Hebi Djuniantoro, in Surabaya on Sunday, stated that the SIL Festival adopts the theme of Industrial and Labour Transformation Towards an Advanced and Inclusive Surabaya in Global Competition, integrating export enhancement agendas with job creation in a unified series of activities.
“This festival begins with export business matching coaching clinics for small and medium industry players (IKM) on 30–31 March 2026 at Balai Pemuda. At this stage, local companies are not only facilitated to meet global markets but also equipped with technical readiness to penetrate export markets,” he said.
The programme involves the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) Surabaya, which plays a role in bridging communication between business actors and potential foreign buyers. Assistance also includes product curation and preparation of letters of intent (LoI), which often pose challenges for small and medium industries.
“Many of our products are actually export-ready, but they are weak in packaging and presentation. That is what we strengthen, including communication skills in English,” he added.
The SIL Festival series continues on 7–8 April 2026, with the main agenda of a job fair and export forum. More than 1,000 job vacancies are prepared, including opportunities for people with disabilities such as mild physical disabilities, hearing and speech impairments, and Down syndrome.
The event runs from 08.00 to 16.00 WIB. Registration for domestic vacancies can be done via the link bit.ly/daftarassik. Meanwhile, for overseas vacancies, prospective participants can access https://siskop2mi.bp2mi.go.id or visit the BP3MI Office at Jalan Imam Bonjol No. 63, Surabaya directly.
“Direct interviews will be held at Balai Pemuda on 7 April and continue at Grand City on 8 April for participants who pass the initial selection,” he said.
On the other hand, this export forum brings together industry players with buyers from six countries, namely the United States, Brunei Darussalam, and Pakistan who attend in person, as well as Oman, Hong Kong, and Singapore who join online. These buyers will engage in business matching sessions, with the hope of generating concrete transactions, not just explorations.
The total participants in SIL 2026 reach more than 700 companies. As many as 60 IKM players join the export business matching coaching clinic, while 644 large companies participate in the overall series of activities.
“The entire series of activities is organised without using the regional budget (APBD). Full support comes from the private sector, namely Performa Optima Group, while the city government acts as a facilitator,” he said.