Energy Ministry Pushes to Raise Local Laborers' Competitiveness against Foreign Workers

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDM) is focusing on increasing the competence of local workers in the energy sector so they can compete with foreign workers.

BPSDM chief Prahoro Nurtjahyo said that Indonesian workers' skills need to be well developed. "One way is by increasing their competitiveness, so they will be ready [to compete with] foreigners working in Indonesia," he said in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 1.

The BPSDM, he said, is also making sure that workers in the energy and mineral resources sector have the skills required by the industry. He emphasized how quality is as important as quantity, and those are the BPSDM's main concerns.

"What we must prepare is quality, as quality is the fortress. We must not be trapped in statements such as 'we don't have the ability' or 'we don't have the people' when we actually do," he said.

In supporting the efforts to boost the competence of the workforce in the field of energy and mineral resources, BPSDM has an Accreditation Commission that provides education and training, which focuses on making the sector's training institutions have standards.

"We don't want the education and training carried out by institutions that do not have standards. This is what we are currently developing," he said.

Amelia Rahima Sari

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