RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Industry continues to strengthen the readiness of young talent from its vocational schools to compete in the WorldSkills Competition (WSC) 2026, which will be held in Shanghai, China, as a concrete step to support Asta Cita's vision of strengthening human resource development and mastery of science and technology to accelerate the Making Indonesia 4.0 transformation.

Minister of Industry, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, emphasized that global recognition of the quality of Indonesian vocational graduates is a crucial asset in strengthening the nation's standing globally.

"Indonesia needs to instill a spirit of innovation so that the younger generation grows motivated to create new innovations. The participation of young Indonesian talent in international competitions serves as a valuable learning opportunity to foster a spirit of innovation," said the Minister of Industry in a written statement in Jakarta on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

Through the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI), the Ministry of Industry is preparing for this world-class skills competition in collaboration with PT Festo and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen).

Head of the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency, Doddy Rahadi, stated that preparations for the 2026 Shanghai World Skills Competition (WSC) were carried out through a solid and integrated collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Culture and PT Festo in talent selection, technical competency development, and participant mentoring.

"We ensure that the training ecosystem for the Ministry of Industry's vocational students has adopted world-class Industry 4.0 technology standards," he said.

The WorldSkills Competition (WSC) is the world's largest international skills competition, bringing together youth, industry, education leaders, and governments from around the world to advance Vocational and Technical Education and Training.

The 2026 Shanghai World Skills Competition, held from 22-27 September 2026, will feature several competition categories, one of which is the Industry 4.0 competition, with participants from 12 countries.

Doddy revealed that SMK-SMTI Padang was selected to represent Indonesia in the Industry 4.0 competition by sending two of its best students. This appointment is a continuation of the brilliant achievements of the two students who previously won the Medallion for Excellence at the ASEAN WorldSkills Competition 2025 in Manila, Philippines.