As many as 7.7 million of construction workers in Indonesia are involved in infrastructure development in the country, but only 20 percent have certification. Government has targeted as high as 40 percent of manpower are certified already.
“We hope around 750 thousand of manpower in construction area have been certified while the Public Works Minister has actually wanted to have some 3 million people. We will do any thing possible (to reach this),” said Secretary at the Construction Directorate in the Public Works and Housing Ministry, Ir. Panani Kesai, M.Sc., in a socialisation event and training for construction area for students of Engineering Faculty UGM on Monday (3/4).
Panani admits the lack of certified construction manpower in Indonesia was due to the high costs whereas construction certification is required so that human resource from universities can immediately work on construction projects.To get certification from professional associations requires a minimum of one-year work. “Generally, when start the work, engineering graduates cannot yet work as instructed. They will be trained first if they are at big corporations, but in smaller ones, nobody will train them, and they are asked to start to work on their own,” he said.
The socialisation and training of distant learning from the Ministry, according to Panani Kesai, aim sto improve insight and competence of the students before they graduate. “We give them access and module so the students get to know construction learning,” he said.
Head of Construction Technology Application Centre, Cakra Negara, said of 7.7 million manpower in infrastructure development in 2016, some 20 percent are already certified.
Ali Awaludin, ST., M.Eng., Ph.D., Secretary of Civil Engineering and Environment Department of Faculty of Engineering UGM, said the training was beyond the curriculum. It can add knowledge to the students. Students that join the training are from UGM, UII, Universitas Atma Jaya and Universitas Janabadra.