Thirty selected high-ranked officials, professors, senior and young lecturers of the Institute of Home Affairs Governance (IPDN) from Jakarta, West Java and West Kalimantan participated in the five-day training programme on key labour issues from 8-13 August in Bandung, West Java. The training programme raised their awareness about various, key labour issues in Indonesia that would not only improve their understanding but would also help them preparing their students, as the future government officials, for improving employment policies and conditions in the country.

Facilitated by the ILO through its various employment programmes, the training programme covered selected labour issues as the following: The introduction of the Four Pillars of the ILO, including social dialogue, collective labour agreement and inclusivity; occupational safety and health (OSH); employment and future of work; social protection; minimum wage; domestic work; child labour; migration; and rural employment.

The training programme was a follow-up to the signed collaboration between the ILO and IPDN signed on last May by Michiko Miyamoto, ILO Country Director for Indonesia and Timor-Leste and Dr Hadi Prabowo, M.M., Rector of the IPDN. The collaboration was aimed to strengthen the curriculum and increase the understanding of educators and students on international labour standards and the development of employment policies in the national government and local government.

Abdul Hakim, ILO’s Project Coordinator for Enhancing the COVID-19 Prevention at and through Workplace who was also coordinating the joint ILO-IPDN programme, said that during the training, the participants expressed their appreciation for having a better understanding about labour issues. “At the beginning, most of the participants only consider certain issues as labour issues such as wages, labour relations, child labour, OSH and trade unions,” said Abdul.

However, added Abdul, after the five-day training programme, the participants had a better awareness about a wide range of labour issues and their important roles as lecturers for shaping the capacity and mindset of future Indonesia’s government officials about employment related issues. The results of the pre- and post-training tests showed an increase in knowledge of 26 percent.

“With better understanding and awareness about trending labour and employment issues that have become the central of people’s lives, the students can contribute in improving, among others, the implementation of labour standards, creation of decent jobs and promotion of the harmonious labour relations when they become part of the governmental system,” Abdul added.

The joint ILO-IPDN programme, therefore, will be followed by a series of activities, such as seminars related to community service activities and OSH training for workers of the IPDN. The IPDN also commits to move forward with, among others:

• The inclusion of OSH as part of the teaching materials for students from the first year started from 2022/2023 academic year.
• The promotion of labour issues for students’ undergraduate theses, graduate theses and dissertations.
• The adoption of participatory learning approach used during the training (brain storming, group work, role play and interactive games) to enhance the IPDN teaching method.
• The establishment of a Centre for Employment Studies.