To ensure the programme preparedness for skills development during and beyond the COVID-19 outbreak, the Ministry of Manpower, with support from the ILO, has continued to strengthen its mentor for apprenticeship programme through online training on pedagogy skill. Mentorship is one of the key components in the quality apprenticeship programme.

The programme was also a follow-up to government’s regulation No. 45/2019 on tax deduction for companies supporting the apprenticeship programme and promoting greater involvement of industry in ensuring smooth transition from school to work.

A webinar validation workshop was conducted from 11-13 May to review the draft pedagogy skills curriculum for industrial mentors in companies’ apprenticeship programme. Around 25 key participants, representing the Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Education, Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo), Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), National Movement for Indonesia’s Competency (GNIK) and trade union confederations.

The final pedagogy skills curriculum will be used as a training tool for companies in ensuring the quality and competency of their mentors in conducting and managing quality apprenticeship programme. By having quality mentorship, it is expected that companies can ensure the quality of their apprenticeship programmes according to the national standards as pedagogy skill for mentor is compulsory.

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to ensure the nationwide coverage of the pedagogy skills curriculum, the pedagogy skill training will be conducted online through the e-learning platform of the Ministry of Manpower as a supplement of the current offline training The launch of the online training is scheduled in September 2020. The greater involvement of the private sector and industry can also support the achievement of government’s target of 410,000 apprentices.

“Skills development through apprenticeship and e-learning programme is one of the ILO’s programme priorities in Indonesia. We need to continuously engage industries to be involved in the skills development as ways to prepare Indonesian quality workforce, particularly youth, so that they can meet the needs of industries,” said Tauvik Muhamad, the ILO’s project manager of skills development.

The ILO’s support on apprenticeship was given through its Industry Skills for Inclusive Growth Project. Funded by the Government of Japan, the second phase of this project aims to promote mechanisms and practical approaches that enable industries and workplaces to become drivers of sustainable and inclusive growth in the Asian region. In Indonesia, the project closely works with government, workers’ and employers’ organizations.