Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Ministry of Manpower is conducting vocational training activities near the Batang Integrated Industrial Zone (KITB), Batang District, Central Java, in order to facilitate empowerment of the local residents.The ministry’s special staff, Caswiyono Rusydie, noted in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday that the vocational training is aimed at enhancing the competency of local communities, particularly those living in villages that lie in buffer zones, in the hopes of enabling them to work in the industrial zone. “We are dedicating this training for residents living in buffer villages, and we will continue (the training) in other villages near the (industrial) zone,” he stated. Rusydie then outlined that the training activities involved training for garment operators that are prepared for working for PT Yi Kwan, a footwear company scheduled to commence its operational activities at the end of this year. He noted that the vocational training program is being conducted by the Manpower Ministry through its Semarang-based Vocational Training and Productivity Center (BBPVP). He remarked that the training targets to draw participation from 500 local residents and will be conducted in batches over five months, with the first batch being participated by 100 residents from four main buffer villages: Plelen, Sawangan, Kedawung, and Ketanggan. Furthermore, the special staff noted that the vocational training program serves as an implementation of the Manpower Ministry’s 10 formulas devised to support the development of KITB. “This training proves that we (the government) are committed to empowering Batang residents and enabling them to actively participate in the industrialization process,” he remarked. Meanwhile, President Director of PT KITB Ngurah Wirawan commended the holding of the vocational training, saying that it serves as proof of the government’s care for the need to boost the competency of local residents and prepare them for work. “We would like to extend our gratitude to the Manpower Ministry. Hopefully, we will be able to sustain this collaboration,” he stated.
Source: Antara News Agency