RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia and Japan have strengthened cooperation in railway human resource (HR) development through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Human Resources Development Agency for Transportation (BPSDMP) of Indonesia’s Ministry of Transportation and the Japan Railway Technical Service (JARTS). Signed in Jakarta on June 9, 2026, the agreement serves as a foundation for transportation-sector HR development cooperation aimed at supporting the placement of Indonesian workers in Japan.

Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir, said the series of agreements further expands opportunities for Indonesia and Japan to enhance cooperation in human resource development in the transportation and fisheries sectors.

“Through concrete agreements ranging from the MoU and cooperation arrangements with JARTS to the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with SBS Group, greater opportunities have been created for Indonesian cadets, university students, and graduates to pursue careers in Japan through the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) pathway in the railway, land transportation, logistics, and fisheries sectors,” Kartini said in a statement received in Jakarta on Tuesday, June 23, 2026.

According to her, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo will continue to strengthen its role in facilitating cooperation between governments, educational institutions, and businesses in both countries to support the development of competent human resources that meet the needs of Japanese industry.

To date, 20 Indonesian graduates have been employed as bus drivers by several operators in Japan, while another 15 graduates are working in the trucking and logistics sectors. A further 99 prospective workers have secured placements and are currently preparing for departure.

Indonesia-Japan cooperation in human resource development also covers the logistics and fisheries sectors. On June 11-12, 2026, Japan’s SBS Group signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) with PTDI-STTD Bekasi. Meanwhile, on June 15, 2026, the Indonesian Embassy in Tokyo facilitated a visit by a delegation from Miyazaki Prefecture to the Marine and Fisheries Education Center of Indonesia’s Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries to follow up on labor demand in the fisheries sector in the prefecture.

On the same occasion, JARTS also signed cooperation agreements with the Indonesian Railway Polytechnic (PPI) Madiun, PTDI-STTD Bekasi, and ITL Trisakti regarding Japanese-language training and preparations for the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) program in the railway sector. The cooperation covers several priority areas, including the provision of Japanese-language training and scholarships, the development of railway technical competencies, and the exchange of information on labor requirements.

The SSW program in the railway sector has already shown positive results. In the 2025 pilot program, 24 out of 25 participants passed, with 23 of them securing employment with various railway companies in eastern Japan.

In 2026, the program involved 113 participants who were prepared to meet labor demand from 47 Japanese railway companies. A total of 98 participants, or approximately 87 percent, passed the SSW examination and are scheduled to begin work in the summer of 2026.

In addition, JARTS will provide Japanese-language training for around 35 to 40 final-year students and graduates from PTDI-STTD Bekasi, PPI Madiun, and ITL Trisakti starting in the fall of 2026.