PADANG, (INDOLIN.ID) - Indonesia's younger generation needs to strengthen its skills and ability to adapt as artificial intelligence (AI), digitalisation, the green economy and demographic changes reshape the labour market, Manpower Minister Yassierli said on Friday.
Yassierli said a university degree alone was no longer sufficient to prepare young people for rapidly changing employment conditions.
"In responding to these changes, having a degree alone is not enough," Yassierli said during a public lecture at Baiturrahmah University in Padang.
"We need to prepare the younger generation with relevant skills, work experience, the ability to adapt and a willingness to keep learning," he said.
Technological and economic changes are altering not only the types of jobs available but also how work is performed, Yassierli said.
He urged young people to pursue reskilling and upskilling to adapt to changing job requirements and take advantage of new types of employment emerging with technological advances.
The Manpower Ministry is promoting what it calls core and integrated skills, Yassierli said.
Core skills include technical competencies, professional certification, portfolios and practical experience, while integrated skills involve combining different competencies according to the requirements of particular jobs.
Yassierli said the rise of AI should also be accompanied by stronger emphasis on human capabilities such as creativity, empathy, integrity and decision-making.
"As AI develops, the role of humans in creativity, empathy, integrity and decision-making must continue to be strengthened. We therefore need to learn how to work alongside technology," he said.
Adaptability, he said, could be strengthened through a growth mindset, practical experience and persistence in developing skills.
The Manpower Ministry supports skills development through vocational training centres, the National Apprenticeship Programme, talent development initiatives and competency certification based on standards set by Indonesia's Professional Certification Authority (BNSP).
"The world of work will continue to change. Therefore, young people need the willingness to keep learning, improve their skills and adapt to change. The government is here to ensure that the supporting ecosystem is available," Yassierli said. (Gusti)
