Piloting In Business Soft Skill Modules and Methodologies with Private Sector and Local NGOs

The Project’s soft skills training, namely the In Business Soft Skill Training Suite, has gained attention from a few private companies and local organizations that have shown interest to integrate the training modules into their human resource practices.

Background

The ILO STEM project in Indonesia was initiated nearing the end of 2017 and focuses on the automotive sector. The Project couples demand-led technical STEM skills and employability leadership training to transition: (i) underprivileged female secondary or post-secondary TVET graduates into sustainable entry-level STEM positions with career prospects; (ii) under-employed women in STEM-related fields upgrade their skills to move up to mid-level STEM employment; and (iii) mid-level women working in STEM fields into leadership/managerial roles. The training includes technical and soft skills; and efforts will be made to integrate the training into human resource practices of firms committed to training, hiring, retaining and promoting women in STEM-related positions.

In its efforts to develop and provide training, the Project build relationships with various private sectors and local organizations. The Project’s soft skills training, namely the In Business Soft Skill Training Suite, has gained attention from a few private companies and local organizations. The private firms include PT. Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (PT. TMMIN) (not to be confused with other Toyota companies in and outside of Indonesia) and PT. Tira Austenite Tbk. The local organizations who are interested with the Project’s soft skills training include Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa, Pusat Pengembangan Sumber Daya Wanita and Yayasan Bandung Wangi. These firms and organizations are interested to utilize the In Business modules and methodology to provide soft skills training to their respective employees, staff or beneficiaries.

Upon further discussion with the abovementioned private firms and organizations, not each of them can support the Project’s implementation. PT. Tira Austenite Tbk is a steel manufacturing company and does not support the Project’s initiative in automotive sector. It is, however, a member of Indonesia Business Coalition for Women (IBCWE), a coalition that promotes gender equality in the work place and is promoting the participation of women in STEM fields. IBCWE also includes big retail companies such as Unilever and Mitra Adiperkasa (a leading lifestyle retailer in Indonesia that includes iconic brands such as Starbucks, Zara, Oshkosh B’Gosh, etc). While working with them may not directly support the achievement of Project’s objectives, it may add secondary beneficiaries for the Project and multiply its products’ impact.

Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa and Yayasan Bandung Wangi are local NGOS that work with youth. The Project plans to recruit underprivileged female secondary or post-secondary TVET graduates through them and the soft skill training is planned to be provided to these identified women. In addition, the organizations may also utilize the training to beneficiaries of their regular or other projects. Pusat Pengembangan Sumber Daya Wanita is not currently working for youth, but rather for older and married women. They, however, has worked with the ILO in the past and may link the Project with female youth within their networks. In overall, their interest to utilize the In Business Soft Skills Training Suite that the Project has developed is worth maintained.

In relation to the above, some of the abovementioned private sectors and local organizations have requested the ILO to conduct a piloting of the soft skills modules and methodologies. This ToR is developed for the purpose of the piloting.

Guidance for the Pilot Activity

The pilot will be conducted by the Project Coordinator of the ILO’s Women in STEM Project.
The pilot will include one or two out of the 14 available modules. The piloting should not include more than 2 modules for efficiency purpose.
The user can select the modules that they would like to pilot.
The user, in coordination with the ILO, will decide the number of participants that will participate in the pilot activity.
A pilot of 1 module will require a half day and a pilot of 2 modules will require a full day. In regards to this, lunch and/or snack may be needed.
The costs for lunch and snack may be provided by the user or by the ILO, depending on agreed discussion.
Most of the pilot will take place at the user’s office. However, preliminary discussions with PT. TMMIN suggests that pilot activity with their employees is more likely to be conducted in a hotel to ensure that the participants can fully focus on the training.
Transportation allowance may be provided to participants if the training is outside of the user’s office; and will depend on agreed discussion.
The overall administration and operational aspect of the pilot activity will be managed together by the user and the ILO.