JAKARTA – Indonesia is looking to upskill its workers in AI to help equip them for the challenges of modern work.

Ministry of Manpower Secretary-General Anwar Sanusi urged Indonesia workers to upskill and reskill themselves so that they can harness the power of emerging tech.

While recent developments have made AI, particularly generative AI, more conducive to workplaces, he said that they can also pose challenges such as replacing human employees in certain roles.

However, workers should not feel threatened by the rise in popularity of AI. In fact, Sanusi believes these tools also open up new career opportunities in other fields, such as in data analysis, data science, and machine learning.

“The digitalisation era will increase demand for certain jobs and also decrease other types of work,” the official said.

Read More: How AI enhances careers and salaries in Asia Pacific

AI upending traditional roles

Because of AI adoption in workplaces, industry experts anticipate a decline in demand for clerical roles. These include job positions such as bank tellers, cashiers, data entry personnel, and secretaries.

On the other hand, companies will look to add more people with digital tech expertise. These include data and AI analysts, database architects, digital marketing specialists, and machine learning engineers.

To help Indonesia face the challenges of AI workplaces, Sanusi said organisations should help train workers to meet the demands of the digital age. For example, colleges can encourage students to learn skills in digital tech so that they increase their employability once they finish school.

Read More: Singapore workers pioneer generative AI revolution

Indonesia providing technology training for workers and jobseekers

National skills development agency Prakerja offers Indonesians an opportunity to develop relevant skills that can help them find meaningful employment. Through its Kartu Prakerja vocational training programme, the organisation has helped workers improve their competence and entrepreneurship capabilities through training.

With the rise in demand for tech-based skills, Prakerja is reaching out to more workers to take advantage of the large-scale training support that it provides.

“This is the main challenge we address at Prakerja as part of active labour market policy, by providing skilling, upskilling and reskilling to improve workforce’s competence and productivity,” said Denni Purbasari, Kartu Prakerja’s Executive Director of Project Management Office.

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What is Kartu Prakerja?

Prakerja makes use of machine learning to help participants find the relevant skills training that they need. The courses are often based on the individual’s interests and demographics, according to Purbasari.

The Kartu Prakerja programme, in particular, has allowed Prakerja to create a singular portal that combines different employment services in the country. Participants can use the ecosystem to search for job vacancies across companies and industry associations.

Kartu Prakerja has received significant support from various policymakers in Indonesia. Purbasari said getting political support and funding was crucial for the programme to achieve its intended goals.

“The country’s productivity lies in its human capital. Efforts to keep people productive cannot rely on philanthropy and corporations,” the Prakerja official said.

Purbasari compared Kartu Prakerja to SkillsFuture, a similar programme designed to upskill Singapore’s workforce whose funding for training, as well as subsidies to help educate older citizens, was recently increased by the Singapore government.

“The modern education system already includes adult learning. In the future, we must think about how to integrate the education system with the skills development system, rather than each being stuck in silos and achieving goals in their own way,” Purbasari said.

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