Strengthening Local Human Resources Key to Demographic Dividend: Six Dairi Students Prepare to Study Industrial Education in China
SIDIKALANG — Improving the quality of human resources (HR) is the main foundation for regions to capitalise on the demographic dividend and strengthen industrial competitiveness. In Dairi Regency, North Sumatra, this concrete step is realised through sending six students to pursue vocational education in China.
The six recipients of the PT Dairi Prima Mineral (DPM) Scholarship, Class of the 4th intake, underwent pre-departure training before being sent to Guangzhou on 9 March 2026. They will pursue a three-year Diploma programme in Manufacturing and Machine Automation at Guangdong Polytechnic of Industry and Commerce (GDPIC).
This programme is not merely a scholarship; it forms part of the strategy to develop local community capacity to adapt to industrial transformation and future technology needs.
Radianto Arifin, Chief Legal and External Relations Officer of PT Dairi Prima Mineral, said strengthening access to international education is an investment long-term in building the region’s youth competencies.
“We want to ensure that the youth of Dairi have equal opportunities to develop technical skills and broaden their global horizons. The expectation is that they can return and contribute to the development of the region,” he said.
The scholarship is supported through the Chinese Government Scholarship scheme and forms part of the company’s Community Development and Empowerment Programme (PPM). Since its launch in 2019, a total of 18 students from Dairi have benefited from the programme.
The selection process was conducted in stages and competitively, starting from academic screening, interviews, psychology tests, to tests of English language ability and basic Mandarin. The outreach programme involved 15 villages and one urban ward in the Silima Pungga-pungga sub-district to ensure equitable access to information.
Strengthening HR based on vocational education is considered relevant to the region’s industrialisation needs, particularly in facing the era of automation and technology-based manufacturing. Vocational education with international exposure is expected to produce local talents who are adaptable, competent, and ready to compete globally.
This step forms part of a sustainable development approach, wherein investment in people is viewed as a key factor in creating long-term value, both for the community and for the region’s industrial ecosystem.