By: Satria Wibowo) *
The government made the Job Creation Law and pre-employment cards at the same time, to improve the standard of living of the community. These two programs complement each other, because pre-employment card graduates will be potential candidates for employees. So that they can be recruited more quickly by the company. Meanwhile the company is the result of investment, thanks to the investment cluster in the Job Creation Law.
The pre-employment card is a program promised by President Jokowi, when he campaigned for the 2019 General Election (second term). When he served as President (again), that promise was truly granted. The pre-employment card was launched and helped many people, because they would receive assistance in the form of training and pocket money.
The existence of this card is perfect for dealing with the impact of a pandemic. Although initially pre-employment cards were intended for high school or college graduates who were still unemployed, they could also be used by people who were recently fired. Indeed, during the pandemic, many companies reduced the number of employees, for the sake of efficiency, because their profits decreased drastically.
The unemployed will benefit from a pre-employment card and it is not the free aid that many people are cheering on. Because the money given is not just transferred. Rather, it is used to redeem classes that must be followed by pre-employment card owners.
The classes provided by the pre-employment card program range from digital marketing, language classes, entrepreneurship, etc. The owner of this card can choose which class they are most interested in, and it can be done online. So it is safe to follow it, because there is no need to squeeze in the classroom, and avoid the possibility of corona transmission when there is a crowd.
The pre-employment card also complements the Job Creation Law. According to Yose Rizal Damuri, Head of the CSIS Department, the pre-employment card program has been running well. Also complement each other with the Job Creation Law. Because the pre-employment program seeks to improve the skills of the workforce, to match the demand.
Yose Rizal continued, the demand for labor continues to increase and is proportional to the level of investment in Indonesia. In that sense, the Job Creation Law has an investment cluster, making it easier for foreign investors. They make a new factory in Indonesia and need a lot of workers.
Factory owners will look for new employees who meet their standards, and graduates of the pre-employment program have good competencies. So that they will be recruited quickly, because they already meet the requirements. Graduates of the pre-employment program will be free from unemployment, and will be happy because they get the job they have been dreaming of.
Competency improvement is the most important mission in the pre-employment card program. Because a high school or college graduate cannot just “sell” the value stated on the diploma. They are required to be skilled in operating computers, speak English well, be good at marketing, proficient in graphic design, etc.
If they have graduated from the pre-employment program, their skills will improve. So that they can become applicants who have qualified skills, and easily get new jobs. So that the kitchen will be saved, because it has a monthly salary.
Even if there are no vacancies, pre-employment card graduates can use their skills to open their own business. For example, by trading online or making a currency. They can be independent and free from unemployment status, and become strong entrepreneurs.
The pre-employment card and the Job Creation Law are closely related and complementary. Because the pre-employment card program helps improve the skills of young people, and the Job Creation Law makes many companies as investment returns. When the company needs employees, it will recruit pre-employment card alumni. Both of these programs help the community, so that their standard of living improves.
) * The author is a citizen living in Semarang
