Just like everywhere else in the world, retail industry in Indonesia also suffers from the economic slow-down caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Hundreds of shops are closed down due to lockdown and millions of workers are impacted. However, there is a growing need for information, communication and technology (ICT) skills as hundreds of retail companies, shops and stores, including small and medium retailers, have moved their services online.

Responding to this growing need, the ILO in collaboration with the Indonesian Retail Association (APRINDO) have launched two online training services on 13 May: Creating Online Shop Application Training and Online Shop Administration Training. Targeted to business owners and laid-off workers, these online trainings aim to develop knowledge and skills to create an online store application and to increase the employability of the participants in the retail sector for income generation and sustainable livelihoods.

More than 300 people nationwide have registered with 87 selected participants, including two participants with disabilities. The majority of the participants are young people aged below 30 years old, of whom 60 percent are women.

Michiko Miyamoto, Country Director of the ILO in Indonesia, reminded the participants about the importance of technology in the future of work and in dealing with the employment changes due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“Technology keeps advancing at workplace. I congratulate all the participants who have decided to face the uncertainty caused by the outbreak by preparing better for the future of your job, striving to learn news business knowledge and upgrading your technology skills,” said Michiko in her online remarked.

Similarly Roy Mandey, Chair of APRINDO, emphasized the importance of productivity and competency in the digital era. “The world is changing now and continue to change. Therefore, future of work also means digital works. These trainings provide digital skills that can be used for maintaining the productivity and competency after COVID-19 outbreak,” he said.

The 4-day online shop application training is conducted with a duration of two hours per session from 14 to 19 May, covering sessions on online store design, identification of online platform, database management, online transaction and customer management. Meanwhile the 2-day online shop administration is conducted with a duration of four hours per session on 18 and 19 May, covering administration for inventory, sales and digital marketing.

“With these training programmes, we aim to train a maximum of 600 participants in the course of 5 months. While both women and men have lost their income, we prioritize assistance to women as they are more vulnerable to the impact of COVID-19 outbreak,” said Santy Otto, the ILO’s Project Officer for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

The training programmes are conducted by the ILO through its Women in STEM workforce readiness and development programme. Funded by J.P Morgan Chase Foundation, the programme seeks to provide women with critical soft and technical skills to help women gain quality employment and support career advancement of women, particularly in the fields of information technology. In the midst of COVID-19 pandemic and considering the skills requirements in this new context, the programme has expanded its scope to provide ICT trainings tailored for the needs of the retail sector.