Jakarta. The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) believes that job mapping is essential to address Indonesia's nearly 8 million unemployed population.

Ning Wahyu Astutik, Chairperson of the Kadin Permanent Committee on Labor Markets and Employment Expansion, said that job mapping should not only be done now but also in the coming years. This will help identify the workforce needed by the business world.

"With mapping, we have time to prepare the workforce, what kind of skills are needed and for what purposes. Currently, many vocational school (SMK) majors have no job prospects. So, this is something that needs to be evaluated and mapped out accurately," Ning Wahyu Astutik told B-Universe at the Indonesia Stock Exchange (BEI), Jakarta, on Friday.

According to data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), the number of unemployed people in the country as of August 2023 was 7.86 million.

Ning explained that the main factors affecting the competitiveness of the workforce in Indonesia are abilities, skills, and expertise obtained through both academic and vocational education. The quality of the workforce depends on education, including the quality of educational institutions, curricula, and teachers. Unfortunately, the link and match between educational institutions and the business world are not yet well-established. Therefore, the role of educational institutions is crucial in reducing unemployment.

"Educational institutions cannot operate independently but must go hand in hand with the business world. Kadin has many vocational training programs in collaboration with the government and businesses. However, sometimes we encounter obstacles because the educational world is not as flexible as ours, as there are curricula that cannot be easily changed," Ning explained.

Furthermore, Ning added, that the quality of education also depends on the qualifications of teachers who should have the capacity and intellectual abilities, such as the ability to use technology in teaching. However, in practice, some educators cannot operate computers and smartphones properly.