Youth should be able to become agents of national development. There are many social problems in this country such as poverty, inequality, low rate of entrepreneurship and unemployment which need the youth role to be solved.
Such conditions could certainly become huge threat since various global challenges have arisen such as the implementation of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). Therefore, through events such as Competition and National Expo SOPREMA 2016, exceptional youth entrepreneurs with excellent social skills are expected to emerge.
Expert Staff of Creative Economy in the Sports and Youth Ministry, Dr. Jonni Mardizal, admitted that the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia is still below 2 percent. This condition is very far from ideal expectation.
"Once I had the opportunity to visit the Military Headquarters, in the presence of 68 members of Paskibraka unit (students who hoist the national flag during Independence Day celebration), when I asked (what they want to be) none of them wanted to be an entrepreneur," he said at Grha Sabha Pramana, UGM, Monday (5/9) at the opening of SOPREMA 2016.
Therefore, with the help of many, said Jonni Mardizal, it is necessary to change the mindset slowly. He believes by increasing entrepreneurs, especially from the youth, will strengthen the nation's economy.
"Because if you want a strong economy, we must have 4 percent of our citizens as entrepreneurs, but of course we cannot deny that the number of our population is aplenty," he added.
Dr. Paripurna Sugarda, SH, L.L.M, Vice Rector of Cooperation and Alumni, added that the implementation of SOPREMA 2016 is a major contribution of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences in shaping new trends for younger generation. The trends to shape a new mindset, from the original worker mentality into the mentality of entrepreuneur or employing people.
For Paripurna, SOPREMA 2016 is certainly not simply responding to the current situation. More than that, it wants to create leaders or innovators who are ready to compete in ASEAN Economic Community, and Indonesia is expected to win the competition.
"Correspondingly, we, at UGM, are also implementing an innovative academic program that aims to develop socio-entrepreuneurship, and this is our fourth year," he said.
Dean of the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Dr. Erwan Agus Purwanto, added as part of the 18 faculties in UGM, when UGM launched itself as socio-entrepreuneur university, we were very excited. Therefore, in the past year the Faculty prepared itself for the first SOPREMA.
"We started at the national level and looking forward to become an international level program next year, which is ASEAN. This is an annual event," he said.
With a variety of things to do, said the Dean, the Faculty was gradually able to change the mindset of graduates to not only aim their career as civil servants. The number of graduates who are no longer interested in becoming civil servants reached 30:70.
SOPREMA- executive chairman in 2016, Dr. Hempri Suyatna, S. Sos., M.Sc., stated that SOPREMA- competition in 2016 was followed by 90 teams/individuals who have passed the preliminary selection of 275 applicants from all provinces in Indonesia. Those who qualify will participate in the semi-final stage on September 5, 2016 and the final on September 6, 2016.
In the selection process, Hempri explains that many great ideas were embodied through their proposals. Even so, from hundreds of proposals that pass the selection most are on business plans.
"Of course it is different, business plans tend to focus on profits, while SOPREMA or socio-entrepreneur is about empowering small or marginalized communities," said Hempri.
Hempri added, Sociopreneur Muda Indonesia (SOPREMA) is a competition for young people in making a business proposal which empowers the community. Activities that take place over three days, from September 5 to 7, 2016 have received the support from Yousure, BRI bank, Sports and Youth Ministry, and UGM.
"In addition to the competition, SOPREMA was completed by various activities including expos, workshops and talk shows. The prize of the competition is IDR300 million," he added.