Government Plans to Finalize ‘SMK Go Global’ Program with Ambassadors

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – The government is improving preparations to send skilled vocational and high school (SMK) graduates to work abroad. Coordinating Minister of People Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar and the Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Mukhtarudin, announced that they will soon meet with several ambassadors to discuss these plans.

To prepare for the SMK Go Global program, Minister Muhaimin Iskandar met with the Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers in Jakarta on Tuesday, 24 February 2026. During the press statement, Muhaimin explained how the government will help secondary school graduates find jobs in the international market.

“The Minister of Migrant Worker Protection and I will immediately meet with ambassadors, both online and in person, to discuss job prospects for skilled workers,” he said. He noted that the goal is to help vocational and high school graduates find work in sectors that offer the most benefits.

The Coordinating Minister asked ambassadors in various countries to create detailed plans and report on how many Indonesian workers their regions can hire. To ensure workers are ready, Muhaimin emphasized that the government is focusing on improving skills through partnerships with different organizations.

Muhaimin stated, “We are improving skills by checking training centers and schools owned by the government and private businesses to prepare the workers we need.”

To support this goal, the vocational school curriculum (the list of subjects students study) will be upgraded to meet international standards so certificates are accepted in other countries. The main focus areas include welding, hospitality, and healthcare.

The government aims to send up to 500,000 skilled workers to countries with high wages, such as Japan, Korea, and parts of Europe and America. These jobs will have contracts lasting two to three years that can be extended.