The increasingly extreme climate change conditions require greater attention.
These environmental changes demand that the industrial sector also participate in environmental improvement, preservation, and reforestation. This commitment is expected to boost Indonesia’s progress in industrial products and global competitiveness.
This was the main focus of a seminar titled “Green Economy-Green Job: Challenges and Solutions for Indonesia” held on Friday (Oct. 4) at the UGM Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (Fisipol UGM).
Professor Anwar Sanusi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Manpower, stated that one of the challenges the industrial sector must address today is the low education level of the workforce and the fact that economic activities no longer rely directly on the exploitation of natural resources.
According to Professor Sanusi, this challenge can be addressed through training and improving workforce competencies to ensure they are aligned with industrial needs.
“This challenge can be tackled with training and competency development to create a link and match with industry conditions,” he explained.
UGM sociologist Dr. Fina Itriyati described green jobs as decent work that contributes to the environment.
She explained that green jobs aim to reduce energy or raw material consumption. Most importantly, these jobs should not be limited to oligarchs or people with capital but should also be accessible to the lower class.
“For this to happen, strong regulations are needed for implementation, supported by companies engaging with communities to foster new awareness at the grassroots level,” she said.
Amalia Prabowo, President Director of ExportHub.id, attended the event as an industry practitioner. She shared her experiences and the challenges the industrial world faces in transitioning to a green economy and jobs.
“What we do is connect academics with MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) in rural areas, and then we help showcase and market the results of this collaboration globally,” she explained.
Prabowo highlighted that one of the main challenges for the industrial sector today is the readiness of Indonesian businesses to prepare themselves for global exposure, as Indonesian products are rarely seen in the worldwide marketplace.
“This needs to change. Digitalization is necessary for businesses in Indonesia to advance and compete globally,” she concluded.
Dr. Wikan Sakarinto, the Director of the Indonesian Innovation Academy, pointed out that Indonesia’s labor productivity index is low, especially compared to other Southeast Asian countries.
“The solution to increasing this productivity is through soft skills training,” he said.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Photographer: Donnie
Post-editor: Afif