Originally published by the U.S. Embassy in Indonesia.

Jakarta, January 30, 2024 – This week the United States, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Ministry of Manpower announced the launch of a new program to increase private investment in government vocational training programs.

USAID Partnerships for Productivity (USAID PADU) is a five-year, $6.9 million activity (subject to availability of funds) to improve collaboration between the private sector and government-owned and operated vocational training centers.

“Human resources development is a key pillar to achieve the Government of Indonesia’s vision of Indonesia Emas 2045,” said USAID Indonesia Mission Director Jeff Cohen. “The United States, through USAID, supports Indonesia in its quest to improve the quality of technical and vocational education and training.”

A key part of USAID PADU will be AWS re/Start, a 12-week skills-development program sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that will prepare learners for entry-level roles in areas like IT operations, site reliability, and infrastructure support. It will also connect learners to potential employers and offer support for resume writing and coaching for job interviews.

“AWS re/Start brings ‘net-new’ talent into the workforce, helping individuals to launch successful careers in cloud computing, organizations to increase their competitive edge with in-demand talent, and communities to thrive and grow. We are proud to collaborate with the USAID PADU project with the Ministry of Manpower and Banyan Global to build a diverse, robust cloud workforce of the future, allowing organizations to accelerate their innovation with cloud computing,” said Anthony Amni, Country Manager, AWS, Indonesia.

This week’s event included the signing of an agreement between USAID, AWS, Orbit Future Academy, and the Directorate General of Vocational Training and Productivity Development. This cooperation signals a mutual commitment to building the capacity of vocational training institutions via the addition of a new cloud computing curriculum.

“The Ministry of Manpower is committed to fostering effective communication and strategic partnerships among stakeholders, with a focus on enhancing BPVP and BBPVP. The goal is to promote a deeper understanding among policymakers to build harmonious orchestration to achieve the revitalization of vocational training and productivity,” said Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah.

Participants in the vocational training program will learn programming languages (Linux and Python), networking, security, and relational database skills through scenario-based exercises, hands-on assignments, and coursework. The program is open to unemployed and underemployed individuals, including those without prior technology experience.

For more information, visit http://indonesia.usaid.gov/ or contact USAID Communications Specialist Swiny Andina at +62 (21) 5083-1000 or sandina@usaid.gov.