Bandung. Indonesia’s Ministry of Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection (KP2MI) has partnered with Padjadjaran University (Unpad) to prepare skilled workers for international employment, with a new Migrant Center designed to connect vocational training, professional certification and career services with global labor market demand.

Minister of Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Mukhtarudin inaugurated the Migrant Center and inspected the university’s migrant worker training facilities in Bandung, West Java, on Friday, October 9, 2026.

The center is designed as a one-stop service hub providing prospective Indonesian migrant workers with access to overseas job information, skills training, foreign language instruction, certification and career guidance. It aims to help workers pursue legal, safe and protected employment opportunities abroad.

Mukhtarudin said improving workforce quality was a government priority as Indonesia seeks to capitalize on its demographic dividend while several countries face labor shortages due to aging populations.

“President Prabowo has instructed the ministry to strengthen protection for Indonesian migrant workers before, during and after employment, while optimizing the placement of skilled workers in medium- to high-skilled positions,” he said.

The government has set a target of preparing 500,000 Indonesian migrant workers to meet international industry demand as part of its priority programs, following a directive issued at a Cabinet meeting on October 20, 2025.

One initiative, the SMK Go Global program, aims to equip vocational high school graduates with skills that match overseas employers’ requirements. The ministry plans to place 40,000 workers abroad through the program in 2026, followed by 140,000 in 2027, 180,000 in 2028 and 140,000 in 2029.

“SMK Go Global is a concrete government effort to prepare Indonesian migrant workers who are skilled, professional and globally competitive,” Mukhtarudin said.

The ministry has established partnerships with 12 government institutions through 258 vocational training institutions serving prospective migrant workers, with a combined annual training capacity of 248,141 people, he added.

The Migrant Center builds on cooperation between the ministry and Unpad formalized through a memorandum of understanding and a cooperation agreement signed on July 28, 2026.

Mukhtarudin praised Unpad Rector Arief Sjamsulaksan Kartasasmita and the university’s academic community for supporting the initiative. He also encouraged students and university staff to promote safe migration, financial and legal literacy, and community economic empowerment.

Unpad Expands Access to Vocational Training

Arief said the inauguration of the Unpad Skill Hub and Migrant Center reflected the university’s commitment to making its educational resources accessible to a wider segment of society, including people who are not enrolled as students.

“Unpad now has a vision of becoming more inclusive, allowing more people to benefit from the quality of education at Unpad without having to become Unpad students,” he said.

The facilities are expected to connect training programs more closely with labor market needs, including opportunities for structured and safe overseas employment.

To expand its training capacity, Unpad is preparing a new facility in the Dago area of Bandung, featuring accommodation, larger training buildings and better-equipped laboratories. The facility is expected to support additional training fields, including nursing and other professions in demand internationally.

The university also operates a training facility in Garut that has provided caregiver and nursing training for more than five years. Unpad plans to integrate these facilities into its broader migrant worker training services.

Through the partnership, the university aims to expand access to skills development and career opportunities for communities in Bandung, Sumedang, Garut and other parts of West Java.

The initiative underscores efforts by the government and higher education institutions to align vocational training with international employment opportunities while helping prospective migrant workers obtain the skills, information and support needed to work abroad safely and legally.

Add as a preferred source on Google +