RRI.CO.ID, Belu - Youth in the border region of Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, are set for expanded international employment opportunities following a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Cartintes Foundation and Australian vocational institution Alena Kaye College.

Witnessed by Belu Regent Willybrodus Lay and Vice Regent Vicente Hornai Gonsalves at the Belu Regent's Office on Friday, August 7, 2026, the agreement focuses on strengthening vocational education and foreign language proficiency for local vocational high school (SMK) students. To bypass lengthy administrative bureaucracy and accelerate program rollout, the Cartintes Foundation was designated to represent vocational high schools across the regency.

The initiative stems from Regent Willybrodus Lay's recent trade mission to Darwin, Australia, which identified approximately 326 open job opportunities that local jobseekers were unable to access due to English language barriers. The new training program provides students with practical skills training and internationally recognized certifications, enabling graduates to pursue career pathways in Indonesia, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

Local administration leadership and international education executives affirmed that equipping border-region youth with language proficiency and technical skills is essential to converting global job openings into tangible career pathways.

Belu Regent Willybrodus Lay emphasized the necessity of preparing skilled human resources to match overseas labor demand.

"The presence of Alena Kaye College is expected to help address the English language issue, through this cooperation, we can enhance students' knowledge so that there is a clear ultimate goal for education—namely employment, both domestically and abroad. There are 326 open jobs in Australia that we can apply for. However, without knowledge and skills, this job list remains a useless piece of paper. To make it useful, let us build this cooperation and togetherness," Willybrodus said in Atambua on Friday, August 7, 2026, as quoted by Infopublik.id.

International Operational Manager of Alena Kaye College David Thompson expressed optimism regarding the global competitiveness of local graduates. According to him, the presence of vocational education is expected to bring a positive impact to learning groups in Belu Regency, both now and in the future.

"Graduates of this training program will hold recognized certifications to pursue careers in various countries. They can work here in Indonesia, in Australia, or in the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, or the United States if they wish," Thompson noted. ***