Jakarta. Indonesia is seeking to expand the placement of skilled migrant workers in overseas markets by strengthening cooperation between central and regional governments and universities, as the country looks to capitalize on its demographic dividend and meet growing international demand for workers.

Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers Mukhtarudin discussed the initiative during a meeting with regional government officials and university representatives at the Ministry of the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI) office in Jakarta on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

The meeting was attended by Ade Ginanjar, a member of the House of Representatives representing West Java XI, Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin, labor officials from Garut Regency, Tasikmalaya Regency and Tasikmalaya City, as well as representatives from universities and vocational institutions across the region.

Mukhtarudin said Indonesia still had a significant number of overseas employment opportunities that had yet to be filled by Indonesian workers, underscoring the need to prepare a workforce with the skills required by international employers.

According to data from the Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection Information System (SIP2MI) as of Oct. 25, 2026, there were 278,848 overseas job openings, of which 72,924 had been filled, leaving 205,924 positions available.

“The scale of international employment opportunities needs to be matched by improvements in the competency of Indonesia’s human resources,” Mukhtarudin said.

He noted that population aging in developed economies, including Japan, South Korea and European countries, was creating opportunities for Indonesian workers to enter global labor markets.

Indonesia, meanwhile, has a large pool of working-age people, offering an opportunity to harness its demographic dividend as the country works toward its 2045 development goals.

SMK Go Global to Prepare Skilled Workers

To address international labor demand, KP2MI is promoting its SMK Go Global program, which aims to prepare vocational school graduates for overseas employment by aligning their skills with the needs of international markets.

The program follows President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to prepare 500,000 workers for overseas employment, with placement targets set at 40,000 workers in 2026, 140,000 in 2027, 180,000 in 2028 and 140,000 in 2029.

Mukhtarudin urged regional administrations and higher education institutions to expand public outreach and encourage eligible candidates to participate. Registration for the program’s second batch remained open until Oct. 31, 2026.

The ministry is also strengthening public awareness of safe and legal migration through the establishment of Migrant Centers at universities. As of Oct. 12, 2026, a total of 43 Migrant Centers had been inaugurated at higher education institutions, with another established at a training institution.

The centers are designed to improve public access to verified overseas job vacancies, information on legal recruitment and placement procedures, and guidance on the rights and protection available to Indonesian migrant workers.

Regional Partnerships to Expand Opportunities

West Java remains a key source of Indonesian migrant workers. KP2MI data recorded 239,821 migrant worker placement services originating from the province between 2023 and Oct. 26, 2026.

Garut Regency accounted for 2,725 services, while Tasikmalaya Regency recorded 1,412 and Tasikmalaya City recorded 560.

During the meeting, Garut Regent Abdusy Syakur Amin emphasized the importance of verifying overseas employment opportunities and strengthening coordination among stakeholders to ensure that prospective migrant workers were properly prepared and protected.

He also highlighted the need to improve access to formal government-to-government (G2G) recruitment channels, particularly for destinations such as South Korea, where stronger coordination could help make recruitment more orderly and ensure workers receive adequate protection.

Abdusy said regional governments could work with existing institutions and training providers to deliver short, intensive training tailored to the requirements of international employers.

KP2MI has offered several forms of cooperation with regional administrations and universities, including establishing Migrant Centers, disseminating information about legal overseas job vacancies, exchanging workforce data and improving the capabilities of prospective migrant workers.

The collaboration is also expected to support the implementation of SMK Go Global and strengthen migrant worker protection throughout the employment cycle, from preparation before departure to protection while working overseas and reintegration after returning to Indonesia.

For employment-source regions such as Garut and the Tasikmalaya area, these initiatives could create wider opportunities for local graduates while helping reduce irregular recruitment and migration practices.

“Integrating job training with safe migration education is expected to reduce the number of workers using irregular channels while improving the welfare of communities in the regions,” Mukhtarudin said.

Through closer cooperation among central and regional governments and higher education institutions, the ministry aims to ensure that Indonesia can make better use of global employment opportunities by placing workers who are skilled, properly recruited and adequately protected.

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