To help training instructors smoothly shift from traditional face-to-face to online skills training, the ILO in collaboration with Skilvul, a digital skills training provider, conducted a series of e-courses for selected instructors of the Public Vocational Training Centres (BLK/BBPLK) across the country. The e-course are implementing for three months from 15 March to 17 June 2021, aimed to provide the instructors with practical skills to plan and deliver training through online and digital platforms.

The online transformation in BLK/BBPLK plays an important role not only in responding to the pandemic situation with limited face-to-face learning situations, but in also breaking the geographical barrier that allows BLK/BBLK to reach out to broader participants, including those in rural areas.

“The online training, therefore, can address this challenge and allow more people to access affordable and flexible training programmes. Our goal is to transform our training centres beyond traditional teaching that need the strategic roles of training instructors,” said Fauziah, Director Instructure and Training Personnel Development of the Ministry of Manpower when opening the e-courses on Monday, 15 March.

A total of 99 instructors were selected from 208 applicants to participate in these e-courses. The e-courses are the replication from digital skills training for BLK’s instructors pioneered by the ILO’s Women in STEM project. Different from the previous training programmes that targeted all BLKs at national, regional and community levels, these e-courses organized by the ILO’s skills development (InSIGHT II) and unemployment protection (UNIQLO) projects only focus on BLK at national level that will deliver 28 newly e-training courses developed by the Ministry of Manpower.

Kazutoshi Chatani, ILO’s Employment Specialist, appreciated the enthusiasms shown by the applicants. “We selected the participants based on their motivation and ideas on how they plan to apply the new skills they learn from this training. We congratulate all the participants and hope that this course would be meaningful and beneficial in supporting their roles as training instructors,” Kazutoshi congratulated the selected instructors.

The participants will be divided into three batches of 33 instructors with duration of three weeks for each batch. During the training, the participants are expected to learn on their own by accessing training materials on the Manpower Ministry’s e-training platform, attending virtual training webinars and conducting an e-training simulation.

The e-courses concludes with the assessment to measure participants’ capabilities and the development of individual action plan to be implemented at participants’ training centers. To ensure the quality of the action plan, peer reviews will be conducted as a way for the participants to provide constructive feedbacks to each other.

“Through blended sessions, we want to ensure that all participants can engage in interactive learning processes. Thus, we encourage their active participation to share ideas, opportunities as well as challenges that we interactively discuss in the class,” said William Hendradjaja, Chief of Business of Skilvul.

The e-courses for instructors are complementing the ILO’s effort in supporting the Manpower Ministry in developing two out of 28 e-training courses: Motion Graphic and Computer Network courses. These two courses will be piloted in May for finalization. Other supports given include the leadership and management training for BLK managers in collaboration with ILO’s International Training Centre (ITC) in Italy and a feasibility study on e-BLK.

With the joint funding support from the Government of Japan and Fast Retailing Co., Ltd., the ILO continue to promote digital skills and distance learning and generate synergies between skills development and other labour market policies.