Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah has said she is optimistic that the establishment of a vocational training center (BLK UPTP) in Morowali District, Central Sulawesi Province, will improve the competence of local workers.

“I truly support the BLK UPTP development plan since it is able to accelerate the improvement of the competence of workers and job seekers,” she said in a written statement received here on Friday.

In addition to responding to global competition and the development of the business sector, the establishment of the training center will also answer the employment challenges in Morowali, North Morowali, and North Konawe Districts.

As industrial areas, the three districts face difficulties in preparing local workers, the minister noted.

“The head of Morowali District said that he had done a mapping of the demand for the workforce and required competence,” the minister informed after having a discussion with the district head.

The vocational training center will be built in the district because it is located between North Konawe District in Southeast Sulawesi Province and North Morowali District in Central Sulawesi Province, thus making its location strategic, she said.

Regarding the workforce, they could be absorbed by the nickel industry and other industries operating in the area, she added.

Meanwhile,Morowali district head, Taslim, welcomed the support of the minister for building the UPTP BLK in the region, saying many investors had entered the industrial area and they required trained local workers.

“One of the challenges we face is to prepare a skilled workforce. Hence, we hope that the training center can be established and operated in Morowali District,” he said.

To build the BLK UPTP, the district authority has provided 15 hectares of land and reserved an additional 4 hectares in the Bumi Fonuasingko Integrated city area, Central Bungku Sub-district, Morowali District, he informed.

“The integrated city has a total area of 380 hectares and we have prepared 19 hectares for the training center,” he added.

Source: Antara News