JakartaPost-June 8
Almost 10 million Indonesians of the Generation Z age group, or those born in the late 1990s and first decade of this century, are unemployed and not enrolled in education or training (NEET), according to Statistics Indonesia (BPS). Around 5.72 million women and 4.16 million men find themselves in such a state of limbo, which experts say could push some of them into crime to make ends meet. University of Indonesia demographer Dewa Wisana has identified some of the challenges Indonesians of the Gen-Z cohort, or “Zoomers”, encounter that contribute to their plight and cause many to remain inactive. The first of these, he noted, was the structural transition from a manufacturing-based economy to one dominated by the service sector. Second, many Indonesian Gen-Zers were struggling to transition from academia to the workforce owing to unpredictable events, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Third, there was a growing demand for qualifications that Gen-Zers often failed to bring to the job market. “Many business sectors, particularly service-oriented ones, rely heavily on technological expertise. Unfortunately, a significant number of individuals struggle to acquire proficiency in these particular skills and technologies,” Dewa said. “For instance, if we look at workplaces, they are starting to demand that people [have] computer skills including coding, data analytics and [sophisticated] internet use […] People are using the Internet of Things (IoT), because the business world has moved toward automation. Yet, not all Gen Zers have mastered this.” According to Bob Azam, head of employment at the Indonesian Employers Association (APINDO), one reason why many Zoomers remain unemployed is that the job offers they get do not match their education, and they desire higher-value jobs. “It seems that, in Indonesia, there is a lack of development in [employment fields] that require higher education for graduates,” Bob said, continuing that most jobs in Indonesia were still informal. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/business/2024/06/08/skills-mismatch-tech-disconnect-why-10-million-gen-z-indonesians-sit-around.html.
