RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Vocational high school graduates are now being encouraged not only to seek job opportunities domestically but also to venture into the international job market. Through the fifth series of the “SMK Berani Mendunia” webinar, held online on Friday, May 29, 2026, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education emphasized the importance of vocational school graduates being prepared to compete abroad.

Director General of Secondary and Special Education, Tatang Muttaqin, stated that the perspective on vocational school graduates has changed significantly. According to him, vocational high school graduates are no longer solely directed toward working in local factories or industrial zones.

Currently, job opportunities for skilled Indonesian workers are widely available in various countries, ranging from Japan, Germany, and Turkey to the Middle East. Tatang explained that this is happening because several countries are facing an aging population, thereby requiring productive labor from abroad.

Tatang explained, “The career path for vocational high school students no longer ends at the city limits or local industrial zones. The world is now increasingly open. Japan, Germany, Turkey, and the Middle East are seeking productive workers because they are facing an aging population, while their own young workforce is dwindling.”

Furthermore, Tatang explained that while those countries are facing a shortage of young workers, Indonesia is currently experiencing a demographic dividend. The large working-age population presents a significant opportunity, provided that vocational high school graduates are truly equipped with the skills, language proficiency, and adaptability required by the international job market.

To address this challenge, the Director of Vocational High Schools, Arie Wibowo Khurniawan, stated that the government has systematically developed a five-pillar strategy. This strategy is designed to enable vocational high school graduates to work abroad through safe, official, and procedurally compliant channels.

“We face a challenge, ladies and gentlemen, and our friends at the vocational high schools who will be involved in this sector, one of the five strategies launched by the Minister is to establish overseas employment preparation classes. This is part of our effort to address issues such as the 35 percent of problematic migrant worker cases from 2022–2023, where they worked abroad without following proper procedures,” Arie said.

The five pillars of the government’s strategy include strengthening foreign language proficiency, improving the quality of human resources, revising the curriculum, strengthening partnerships with industry, and providing guidance and counseling services for students. Through this strategy, the government hopes that vocational high schools will produce graduates who are not only ready for the workforce but also prepared to compete on a global scale.