Jakarta, December 5, 2024 – As a country with the fourth largest education system in the world and a strong economic potential on the global stage, Indonesia has a significant opportunity to become a world power. The eight missions of Asta Cita, initiated by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, outline concrete steps that need to be taken to achieve the target of 8% economic growth by 2029 and the vision of 2045 Golden Indonesia.

The mission of the Wadhwani Foundation (WF) to accelerate job growth and enable millions of people to earn a decent wage and live a dignified life aligns with the third Asta Cita: ‘Increasing quality jobs, promoting entrepreneurship, developing creative industries, and continuing infrastructure development.’ For more than a decade, WF has facilitated beneficiaries in securing jobs more quickly and has assisted employers in finding qualified and job-ready workers.

The Global Impact of the Wadhwani Foundation

On his first visit to Indonesia, Dr. Ajay Kela, the President and CEO of WF, shared WF’s key programs which have benefitted millions of people in over 15 countries across Asia, Africa, and South America.

“Since its establishment in 2001, Wadhwani Foundation, through the Wadhwani Skilling Network (WSN) and Wadhwani Entrepreneurship Network (WEN), has continued to develop initiatives for upskilling the workforce and strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem to achieve economic independence and drive national progress,” said Dr. Ajay Kela during a media event held on Thursday (Dec. 5) at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education Library.

WF’s upskilling programs, JobRise and JobReady, focus on the development of soft skills designed to meet user needs and the diversity of job sectors. WF has developed an AI-based platform to provide engaging and personalized training materials. The Indonesian version of GenAI technology used for WF’s platforms has been developed and integrated with direct support from facilitators to conduct simulations and face-to-face collaboration. Meanwhile, through its WEN initiative, WF provides knowledge support related to business development strategies for aspiring young entrepreneurs.

In addition, WF has recently launched the Wadhwani Charitable Foundation (WCF) which focuses on strengthening institutions that provide upskilling services and entrepreneurial support through grant funding. With all these initiatives, WF aims to help 3 million people in Indonesia secure decent jobs by 2030.

The Presence of Wadhwani Foundation in Indonesia 

During the same event, Daniel Tumiwa, Vice President and Country Director of Wadhwani Foundation Indonesia, highlighted the positive impacts that various educational institutions in Indonesia have received by participating in WF’s programs. Currently, WFI has established partnerships with 76 universities across Indonesia with a total of 32,758 participants.

“The alignment between the missions of Wadhwani Foundation and Wadhwani Foundation Indonesia and the Asta Cita initiated by President Prabowo Subianto demonstrates our commitment to actively participating in efforts to enhance the economy and well-being of the Indonesian people by supporting the development of skilled talent and a resilient entrepreneurial ecosystem,” said Daniel.

WFI’s upcoming agenda is to establish and strengthen partnerships with more universities, focusing primarily on final-year students, Vocational High Schools (SMK), and vocational institutions, to ensure that graduates are better prepared and have more opportunities to secure jobs after completing their studies. Daniel mentioned that WFI has held meetings with the Directorate General of Vocational Education of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, as well as the Human Resources Development Agency of the Ministry of Information and Digital, and received positive feedback for this initiative. 

The WCF initiative is also being introduced in Indonesia to strengthen institutions and companies that provide upskilling services for the workforce, with grant funding of 1 to 5 million US dollars (approximately IDR 15-75 billion) per institution. This grant can help reduce the training costs that employers would otherwise need to cover.

“Of course, we hope to establish partnerships with more educational institutions in Indonesia so that our graduates are increasingly ready to be employed and prove their abilities on the global stage. In this way, we can help accelerate the process for new graduates to adapt to their new workplaces and continue to achieve success,” concluded Daniel. (*)

About Wadhwani Foundation  

Wadhwani Foundation is a high-growth, nonprofit organization focused on social good through technology. Established in 2001, the foundation has been dedicated for over two decades to a clear and impactful mission: accelerating job creation and empowering millions of people to earn wages that sustain their families and enable them to lead dignified lives.