Indonesia to advance its apprenticeship reform through tripartite dialogue

JAKARTA, Indonesia (ILO News) - The ILO’s Global Accelerator (GA) on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transition organized a series of focused consultations with tripartite constituents consisting of representatives from governmental ministries and agencies, employers’ and workers’ organizations. Held in Jakarta from April to June, these in-depth dialogues provided a platform for each stakeholder group to share perspectives, identify challenges and propose actionable solutions to strengthen the national apprenticeship system.

During these consultations, the tripartite constituents rated and discussed each aspect of apprenticeship based on the ILO’s Quality Apprenticeship Recommendation, 2023 (No. 208) that includes the following: Definitions and scope; Regulatory framework; Protection of apprentices; Agreement; Equality and diversity in quality apprenticeship; Promotion; and International, regional and national cooperation.

These consultations culminated in a set of joint conclusions and recommendations aimed at revising Manpower Ministerial Decree No. 6/2020 on Domestic Apprenticeship. The Decree regulates the implementation of apprenticeship programmes within Indonesia and outlines the framework for apprenticeship programmes, focusing on the rights of apprentices, the obligations of organizers and the overall process of apprenticeship.

The proposed recommendations included 20 key concrete actions to advance quality apprenticeship in Indonesia, covering issues on legal definition; apprenticeship as part of lifelong learning; protection and the realization of fundamental principles and rights at work; tripartite body and governance; training access; remuneration; inclusivity; and operational guidelines.

“The ILO is pleased with the commitment shown by our tripartite constituents to enhance the quality and governance of apprenticeships programmes in the country. As a follow-up to these recommendations, the ILO is preparing a comprehensive policy recommendation document, which will be presented for validation during a second national tripartite consultation workshop,” stated Hirania Wiryasti, ILO’s National Project Coordinator of GA.

These consultations were an immediate follow-up to the National Tripartite Workshop held last March. Jointly organized by the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) and the Ministry of Manpower, with support from the ILO, the workshop examined the main theme of quality apprenticeship: regulatory framework and operational guidelines for policy makers based on the ILO Recommendation No. 208.

The recommendation recognizes that the promotion and development of quality apprenticeship can lead to decent work, contribute to effective and efficient responses to the challenges of the world of work and provide lifelong learning opportunities to improve productivity, resilience, transitions and employability and meet the current and future needs of apprentices, employers and the labour market.

At the workshop, approximately 30 participants from governmental ministries, employers’ organizations and workers’ organizations concurred that implementing quality apprenticeships in Indonesia aligns with ILO Recommendation No. 208. This is being achieved through the use of toolkits, which include training modules for in-company trainers, a tripartite review checklist, and a standardized apprenticeship agreement template.

The Global Accelerator (GA) on Jobs and Social Protection for Just Transition is a joint initiative of the Government of Indonesia and several United Nations agencies, funded by Joint SDG Fund, that aims to support the achievement of targets in the 2025-2029 National Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMN) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).