Thursday, 12 November 2026
DELI SERDANG | INDATANEWS.COM - Deli Serdang Deputy Regent Lom Lom Suwondo has called for improvements in the skills and professional certification of local workers to help them compete for construction projects, secure better employment opportunities and earn higher incomes.
He made the call while opening a training and competency assessment programme for strategic construction workers under the 2026 Labour-Intensive Programme in Deli Serdang Regency. The event, organised in collaboration with the Aceh Region I Construction Services Centre, took place at Cafe Athar in Bangun Purba District on Wednesday, 11 November 2026.
During the event, Lom Lom recalled how several power plant and factory construction projects began in Deli Serdang Regency a few years ago. At the time, many local residents expressed an interest in working on the projects.
However, not all applicants met the requirements set by the companies. Some prospective workers did not hold competency certificates relevant to the positions available. As a result, they missed opportunities to take part directly in major development projects in their own region.
"That experience taught us that practical skills alone are not enough. Workers must also hold competency certificates to meet the requirements of the employment market. That is why we warmly welcome this programme, which gives the people of Deli Serdang an opportunity to improve their abilities while gaining formal recognition of their professional competence," he said.
According to Lom Lom, this experience should serve as an important lesson for all stakeholders, particularly the local government, in preparing a skilled workforce that meets the region's development needs. Work experience and skills acquired informally are not sufficient on their own. Workers also need official recognition of their professional abilities through certification.
He explained that competency certification could become an important requirement for various construction projects undertaken by the Deli Serdang Regency Government in the future. The policy is expected to give local workers greater opportunities to participate in regional development.
"Do not hesitate to improve your skills. I hope that, after taking part in this competency assessment, workers will further improve their skills and productivity. With better qualifications, there will naturally be greater opportunities to secure employment and earn a better income," he said.
Alongside efforts to improve professional skills and certification, the Deli Serdang Regency Government is also focusing on workers' social protection. Lom Lom said the local government would provide employment social security coverage through BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, Indonesia's employment social security agency, for programme participants.
He stressed that such protection was particularly important because construction work carries occupational safety risks that require serious attention. The government must not only help residents improve their skills and gain access to employment, but also ensure that workers receive protection when they face risks while carrying out their duties.
"Through this programme, we want to ensure that people not only have the skills and employment opportunities they need, but also receive protection when they face risks in the course of their work. The local government will continue to develop programmes whose benefits can be felt directly by the community," he emphasised.
This commitment forms part of the local government's wider efforts to improve the welfare of construction workers. With measurable skills, recognised professional qualifications and social security protection, workers are expected to strengthen their position in an increasingly competitive employment market.
Around 100 participants took part in the training and competency assessment programme. They represented two occupational fields: bricklaying and plastering, as well as painting work on buildings.
The programme aims to improve the quality of human resources in the construction sector, increase workers' productivity and formally recognise their abilities through professional certification. Participants are therefore expected to gain not only additional knowledge and practical skills, but also official proof of their competence to support future employment opportunities.
In his report, Hamka Lubis, Acting Head of the Aceh Region I Construction Services Centre, explained that the programme was organised under several regulatory frameworks. These included Government Regulation No. 22 of 2020, which implements Law No. 2 of 2017 on Construction Services, alongside other regulations governing competency requirements for construction workers and construction safety management systems.
Hamka said the programme formed part of the government's ongoing efforts to strengthen the capacity and professional development of human resources in the construction sector. Through training and competency assessments, the government aims to develop a productive and qualified workforce that meets the professional standards required in each occupational field.
"We hope this programme will enable more construction workers in Deli Serdang Regency to obtain competency certificates, helping to improve the quality of construction work while expanding employment opportunities for local residents," he said.
Meanwhile, Ir. Kimron Manik, Director of Construction Workforce Competence and Productivity at the Directorate General of Construction Development, Ministry of Public Works, praised the support provided by the Deli Serdang Regency Government and the initiative of Musa Rajekshah, a member of Commission V of Indonesia's House of Representatives, in promoting construction workforce certification.
Kimron said the availability of qualified and certified local construction workers was an important factor in enabling communities to become the main drivers of development in their own regions.
He explained that a competency certificate was not merely an administrative document. It represented formal recognition by the state of a worker's abilities and professional skills. Certification also provided protection and strengthened the competitiveness of local workers in the employment market.
"Holding a competency certificate is an obligation stipulated under the Construction Services Law. The certificate represents state recognition of workers' abilities and skills, while also providing protection and improving the competitiveness of local workers," he explained.
Kimron also highlighted how technological developments in the construction industry require workers to continuously update their knowledge and improve their skills. The growing use of modern technology, including robots in construction activities, presents a particular challenge for workers who fail to develop their professional capabilities.
In his view, workers who do not keep pace with technological advances risk falling behind in the employment market. Professional development must therefore become an ongoing process rather than something undertaken only when attending training sessions or sitting certification examinations.
"I hope all participants will take this programme seriously and make the most of it. Do not stop at being a construction worker. Keep learning and improving your abilities so that, in the future, you can become a foreman, a small-scale contractor and even a major contractor. Progress and success depend on our willingness to keep learning and developing ourselves," he advised.
Through this programme, the Deli Serdang Regency Government hopes that more local construction workers will obtain recognised competency certificates and meet the requirements of future development projects. Improving the quality of the construction workforce is also expected to strengthen the community's competitiveness, expand employment opportunities and ensure that more residents benefit directly from regional development.
Ultimately, professional certification is not merely a requirement in the construction industry. It is also an important pathway for local communities to improve their living standards and play a greater role in shaping the development of their own region (IDNC)
REPORTER: Edi Saputra | EDITOR: Fik Sagala
