Jakarta, Indonesia – The Indonesian government officially launched the National Vocational Training Program 2026 on Friday, February 27th, aiming to bridge the skills gap between graduates and the demands of the workforce. The initiative, spearheaded by the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), will provide free training to graduates of Senior High School (SMA) and Vocational High School (SMK).
Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, announced the program during a press conference in Jakarta, stating that It’s designed to enhance both hard and soft skills, aligning with the government’s broader strategy for developing human resources towards achieving “Golden Indonesia 2045.”
“The entire training series is provided free of charge by the Government. This program is designed to develop function competencies, productivity, discipline, attitudes, and work ethic for employment or entrepreneurship,” Hartarto said, according to a statement released Saturday.
The program will unfold in three batches throughout 2026, accommodating approximately 20,000 participants per batch, totaling 70,000 trainees annually. The training will be conducted across 33 Technical Implementation Units of the Vocational Training and Productivity Development (UPT BPVP) and Service Units (Satpel) of Kemnaker, located in various provinces throughout Indonesia.
Participants will have access to benefits including transportation allowances of Rp 20,000 (approximately $1.25 USD) per day, coverage for Work Accident Insurance (JKK) and Death Benefit Insurance (JKM), training certificates, and BNSP competency certifications. Accommodation will also be provided for participants traveling from outside the training location.
The initiative comes as Indonesia faces a significant need to upskill its workforce. Data from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemdikdasmen) indicates that approximately 3.28 million students graduated from SMA/SMK in the 2024/2025 academic year. Statistics from the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) show that SMA graduates comprise 31.05 million workers, or 20.99 percent of the national workforce of around 148 million people, while SMK graduates contribute 20.80 million workers, representing 14 percent of the total.
The program will offer training in 31 vocational fields, including Information and Communication Technology, Business and Management, Tourism, Fashion, Garment and Apparel, Automotive, Housekeeping, Electrical Engineering, Smart Farming, Construction, Barista skills, Fisheries Cultivation, Hairdressing and Makeup, Cooking, Sewing, Vehicle Maintenance, Tour Guiding, Digital Marketing, Cybersecurity, Solar Panel Installation, Welding, Computer Numerical Control (CNC), Industrial Automation, Electric Vehicles, and priority areas identified by the President, such as the Red and White Cooperatives and the Free Nutritious Food program.
Training modalities will include in-person, online, and hybrid formats, with over 820 classes available. Eligibility is limited to recent graduates of SMA/SMK/MA or equivalent, aged 17 or older, with a SiapKerja account and having graduated within the last three years. Interested applicants can register through the official Skillhub portal at skillhub.kemnaker.go.id.
Minister of Manpower Yassierli stated that the initial batch will focus on 20,000 participants, with potential for expansion based on the program’s evaluation. “Hopefully, after the evaluation of batch 1, 20,000 people, if the enthusiasm is good, we certainly hope that the number will not be limited to 70,000 people,” he said.