JAKARTA: Demand for talents in Indonesia's digital economy is set to increase and the government has assured its continued support in preparing them.
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, stressed the government remains committed to its policies that were initiated to support the development of digital talents, according to Antara news reports.
"It is predicted that by 2030, there will be a shortage of 47 million digital talents in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, Indonesia needs around 600,000 digital talents every year. To that end, the government has initiated various policies," he said.
The value of Indonesia's digital economy in 2021 was the highest among Asean countries at USD70 billion, he said in a statement issued by the ministry Friday.
Airlangga said the value has been forecast to increase to USD330 billion by 2030, hence with the rapid increase, the need for digital talent, the main navigator for driving the digital ecosystem, is also projected to increase.
This is why the government is trying to encourage the development of digital talent and infrastructure through various policies, he explained.
One of the policies initiated by the government is the end-to-end digital Pre-Employment Card Program to develop work competencies and entrepreneurship through the provision of financial assistance.
He said the value of the Pre-Employment Card benefits is up to 3.55 million rupiah for each individual and the program is targeting more than 13 million beneficiaries from 514 districts and cities.
The government has also made Information and Communication Technology (ICT) a core part of the educational curriculum at all levels.
He said ICT will also be used to increase research and digital innovation, especially for the development of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and start-ups, as well as boost investment in research, development, and application of innovative digital technology.