Coordinating Minister Airlangga Encourages Pre-Employment Card Recipients In NTB: This Program Helps Migrant Workers

Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Airlangga Hartarto. (Photo: Doc. Coordinating Ministry for the Economy)

JAKARTA - The Pre-Employment Card Program is one of the semi-social assistance programs from the government to help people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic improve their skills and help their lives. This time the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, met and had a warm conversation with the recipients of the Pre-Employment Card in the Province of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB).

The Pre-Employment Card, according to Coordinating Minister Airlangga, is very useful for people who are negatively affected during the current pandemic, for example, those who have been laid off or SMEs whose turnover is according to the PPKM (Community Activity Restrictions). Apart from getting additional skills from training, the Pre-Employment Card incentives can of course be used as additional capital.

In 2021 (batch 12-21), there were 5,910,462 recipients of Pre-Employment Cards. A total of 94 percent or 5,561,504 people have completed the training, then 91 percent or 5,397,784 people have received incentives.

The total incentives that have been distributed from 2021 to batch 21 are IDR 9.52 trillion. The total registration since the beginning of the Pre-Employment Card opening until October 12, 2021, is around 75 million people and a total of 11 million recipients, from 34 provinces and 514 districts/cities throughout Indonesia.

NTB Province recorded a total of 725,311 registrants with a total of 233,230 recipients. Then, for Central Lombok Regency, there were 201,796 registrants, and 71,553 people received, and in Mataram City, there were 85,970 registrants, and 29,416 people received.

NTB Province is the 17th province with the highest number of Pre-Employment Card recipients in Indonesia, and the province with the 2nd highest number of recipients in Eastern Indonesia. Meanwhile, Central Lombok Regency is the Regency/City with the 1st highest number of Pre-Employment Card recipients in NTB Province. And, the City of Mataram is the 4th Regency/City with the highest number of recipients of Pre-Employment Cards in the Province of NTB.

"I asked the Governor of NTB to prepare registration so that they can be included in the white list. We are indeed providing more quotas per year for Eastern Indonesia", said Coordinating Minister Airlangga, in a written statement, Friday, October 15.

In the event which was held at Siwa Cliffs, Central Lombok Regency, Coordinating Minister Airlangga asked about their progress after becoming alumni of the Pre-Employment Card. How the Pre-Employment Card can play a role in their self-development as well as the business or business they run.

There is 22 alumni present, 8 of whom are retired Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI) who managed to get a Pre-Employment Card.

One of them is Anggi Sihanjaya. The 31-year-old man joined the Pre-Employment Card in Wave 8 after receiving information about the Pre-Employment Card program from his colleague. Previously, since 2015 Anggi worked as a waitress crew on foreign cruise ships. However, when a pandemic occurred, Anggi was sent home and returned to Indonesia.

In the Pre-Employment Card program, Anggi takes English classes to hone her language skills. In addition, he also took social media marketing training to better understand today's marketing trends. Incentive funds are used for family needs.

Currently, Anggi works as a marketing staff in a property company. The social media marketing knowledge he has learned is very useful because he can market his products through social media such as Instagram and Facebook. In the future, he wants to have his own business in the property business which according to him is currently developing on the island of Lombok.

"I listened to the experience of the Pre-Employment Card recipients, and they received facilities that were useful for their personal and business. The Pre-Employment Card program will be continued next year with a budget of Rp. 11 trillion", concluded Coordinating Minister Airlangga.

Also attending this event were the Minister of Industry, the Governor of NTB, the Secretary of the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, the Deputy for Coordination of the Digital Economy, Employment, and MSMEs at the Coordinating Ministry for the Economy, the Executive Director of Implementing Management (PMO) for the Pre-Employment Card Program, and the Senior Vice President for Institutional Relations of Bank BNI.