By: Vidya Auranti Ghinartieka, Law Students at Trisakti University, Members of JaTeam Batch 2
Most of the unemployed people in Indonesia are young and inexperienced, still live with their parents, and have at least 12 years of education. In Indonesia as a developing country, unemployment is a problematic issue to deal with. Indonesia faces the most severe youth unemployment problem with almost 20 percent of not being able to find a job. Is this the under-qualification of the unemployed, or the discouragement that causing this high precentage of unemployment?
Most of the unemployed people are financially not stable, which is often affecting the education they taking. For these kind of people, there are three opportunities of getting a job; entering the informal sector jobs, working abroad as TKI, or, getting a job in the country if fortunate.
In the informal sector jobs, there is no need to fulfill a high education or certain skills. Also, the working hours is very flexible. But, it does have a weakness; workers from informal sector are not protected in law. Joining the TKI programme, also bringing risks for the workers, as we know, TKI workers often being abused , or raped by their employer.
According to Jokowi (Indonesia’s current president), there will be a Pre-work Card (Kartu Pra-kerja) that will solve unemployment problem in the country. This existence of this card will give chances for the unemployed in getting a job. This card also provides internships, trainings, and so much more to support the unemployed in upgrading their skills.
Solving the unemployment problem in a country is surely is not an easy job to do, but if people are willing to try, being encouraged in getting a job, i think in some way the unemployment precentage will decrease , because sometimes it is not how the country manage the unemployment, but how the people themselves to keep going and not being discouraged.