Indonesia prepares training centers for green jobs

hartono · Sep 2, 2026

Indonesia prepares training centers for green jobs

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Workers inspect solar panels at the Oelpuah Solar Power Plant (PLTS) in Oelpuah Village, Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara, on Thursday (June 18, 2026). /ANTARA FOTO/Kornelis Kaha/sgd/nz/mrt.

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower is preparing dedicated vocational training centers for green jobs as the government seeks to align workforce skills with rising demand from the green economy.

Manpower Minister Yassierli said on Wednesday the move was aimed at preparing workers for emerging green jobs while preventing a widening gap between industry needs and workforce competencies.

The ministry currently operates 34 vocational training centers and plans to add about 17 more, bringing the total to around 50 centers, Yassierli said.

Some of the centers will be designated as vocational training hubs specifically focused on developing skills for green jobs, he said at the Indonesia's Green Jobs Conference 2026 in Jakarta.

"Some of these training centers will later become vocational training centers dedicated to green jobs," Yassierli said.

He said green jobs should be viewed as an opportunity to create new employment, but the opportunity must be accompanied by workforce readiness and training systems tailored to the needs of growing sectors.

One challenge in supporting the green energy transition is that workforce requirements have not yet been mapped in sufficient detail, including specific positions and competencies, Yassierli said.

He cited the government’s plan to develop up to 100 gigawatts of solar power capacity as an example of the need for more detailed workforce planning.

The government needs to identify the workers required to operate and maintain solar power plants, as well as those needed to manufacture various components, he said.

Once competency requirements are mapped, the Ministry of Manpower will adjust its training and certification schemes accordingly.

For certification, the ministry is encouraging stronger professional certification bodies, known as LSPs, because the government cannot independently handle the entire certification process, Yassierli said.

The ministry is also receiving support from the World Bank to establish around 15 new vocational training centers, which are expected to begin construction or operations next year.

Yassierli said the new centers would provide an additional mechanism for preparing workers whose skills match the needs of industry.

Regional disparities are another challenge, as renewable energy development is concentrated outside Java while vocational training facilities in some of those areas remain inadequate, he said.

"Many of the positions will require local human resources. Therefore, we must pay attention to the availability of vocational training facilities in the target areas outside Java," Yassierli said.

The ministry is also transforming existing vocational training centers, with the Vocational Training and Productivity Center (BPVP) in Serang, Banten, among the facilities being developed as a green jobs training center.

The government is integrating the national vocational training program with workforce requirements in specific sectors as part of the broader effort to prepare workers for the green economy.

In 2026, the Ministry of Manpower is targeting vocational training for 340,000 people and apprenticeship programs for 150,000 people.

Yassierli said training would be followed by certification designed to secure global recognition before workers are placed in industries that need their skills.

The Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas) said in Indonesia’s 2025 Green Workforce Development Roadmap that the country aims to have 5.32 million green workers by 2029.

Cumulative demand for green workers in the power generation sector is estimated at more than 760,000, based on state electricity company PLN’s 2025-2034 Electricity Supply Business Plan (RUPTL), according to Bappenas.