Tuesday, 16 June 2026
JAKARTA | INDATANEWS.COM – Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Manpower, Afriansyah Noor, has called on the country's young generation to take an active role in creating new job opportunities, as the nation continues to grapple with the dominance of the informal sector and persistent labor market challenges.
Afriansyah highlighted that Indonesia's employment structure remains heavily reliant on the informal sector, with more than 155 million people working within it, while millions of others still struggle to access formal employment. He stressed the urgent need to improve workforce quality and competitiveness, particularly among young people.
"The younger generation should not merely be part of statistical figures, but must prove their capabilities through concrete actions," Afriansyah said during the inauguration of the Biru Muda Project program titled "UNWRAP: From Potential to Impact Conference 2026" in Jakarta.
Read Also:
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Industry
Afriansyah underscored that the mismatch between the education system and industry demands remains a key barrier to labor market integration. He emphasized the importance of transforming human resource development to make it more adaptive to rapid changes.
He also noted that young people should not position themselves solely as job seekers. Instead, they must be capable of generating new opportunities through innovation, entrepreneurship, and the use of modern technology.
"The younger generation has enormous potential to become a driving force of the economy, especially by creating new jobs in the digital era," he added.
Strengthening the Employment Ecosystem
Afriansyah further explained that the government continues to strengthen the employment ecosystem through cross-sector collaboration involving state institutions, industry players, academia, communities, and the media.
For 2026, the Ministry of Manpower has outlined four strategic pillars: strengthening vocational education and training through skilling and reskilling programs, developing Talent and Innovation Hubs (TIH), expanding access to training programs—including for persons with disabilities—and boosting productivity through Labor Productivity Clinics.
Promoting Digital Entrepreneurship
In addition, the government is intensifying incubation programs aimed at fostering new digital entrepreneurs. These initiatives are expected to produce independent and innovative economic actors, particularly in the creative economy and green industry sectors.
"All these programs are part of an integrated strategy to build an adaptive, inclusive, and globally competitive employment ecosystem," Afriansyah concluded. (IDNC)
REPORTER: Darmailawati | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
