UPNVJ Public Relations – Veteran National Development University Jakarta (UPNVJ) held an Open University Session in commemoration of its 48th Anniversary. The event took place at the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Auditorium, 4th Floor, UPNVJ Pondok Labu Campus, South Jakarta (11/28/2025).

The Deputy Minister of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Ir. H. Afriansyah Noor, M.Sc., IPU, delivered a scientific speech entitled "Transforming Indonesian Human Resources Towards a Golden Indonesia 2045 Through Vocational Training." The speech emphasized the urgency of developing human resources to face global competition, with vocational training as the key.

"If Indonesia doesn't capitalize on the demographic dividend, we could become an aging nation before we become a developed one. Vocational training is key to accelerating the development of the skilled workforce needed by future industries," he stressed.

The Deputy Minister of Manpower warned of the risk of Indonesia becoming an aging nation before it advances if its demographic bonus is not utilized. He highlighted recent data showing 218.17 million working-age people, 7.46 million unemployed, and 57.8 percent of the informal workforce. This situation indicates a competency gap that must be addressed through systematic vocational education.

In his presentation, Dr. Afriansyah outlined two waves of the global economy: the digital economy and the green and circular economy. "We need more than 113 million skilled workers by 2030. At the same time, millions of old jobs will be lost to automation. Therefore, reskilling and upskilling are not options, but imperatives," he said.

The Ministry of Manpower's triple skilling framework encompasses upskilling for active workers, skill adjustment for new graduates, and reskilling for those laid off. The national vocational training ecosystem is supported by thousands of Vocational Training Centers, private institutions, and 35,000 professional certification schemes. The main challenge is aligning programs with industry needs to produce work-ready graduates.

Priority programs such as national Project-Based Learning and National Internships for 100,000 college graduates provide a stipend equivalent to the district minimum wage for six months. The younger generation needs to be equipped with generative AI adaptation, social skills, and a growth mindset for lifelong learning.