Improve the job-readiness of Digital Talent Scholarship graduates

Policies Involved

Renovation

Minister of Communications and Informatics Regulation No. 2 of 2021 on the Strategic Plan 2020-2024

Challenge

The Digital Talent Scholarship (DTS) is a program launched by the Ministry of Communications and Informatics in 2018 that aims to increase the quantity and quality of tech talents in the digital and IT sector in the country. While the government works closely with program service providers, such as privately-run coding bootcamps, most of the programs available are introductory-level classes. This creates a “ready for employment” gap because many of the graduates from these programs are still deemed to lack the practical working experience that many potential employers are looking for.

Current Policy

The DTS outlined in the Minister of Communications and Informatics Regulation No. 2 of 2021 on the Strategic Plan 2020-2024 offers training scholarships for technology competency programs, with a maximum duration of 3 months according to the chosen training theme¹. To accommodate participants from various backgrounds, the DTS was divided into several programs, such as:
- Fresh Graduate Academy: Open to university students and graduates
- Vocational School Graduate Academy: Open to vocational school graduates, including vocational secondary education and higher institution diploma level
- Thematic Academy: Open to the general public²

However, the programs currently do not specify the provision of professional development opportunities alongside technical training.

Action

Implementing initiatives that can provide students in the program with job-ready skills and industry contacts will help distinguish them in the competitive job market. To ensure success, the program must have a clear KPI and procedures to monitor and evaluate the “job-readiness” of its students based on metrics such as skills improvement, practical work experience, communication capabilities, increased confidence and collaboration with others. Furthermore, DTS initiatives should also include practical training on real-world challenges, having practitioners as teachers, and facilitating networking with peers and professionals in the industry.

action points

parties involved

Develop clear KPIs, monitoring & evaluation procedures to measure job-readiness

Ministry of Communications and Informatics

Relevant ministries and government agencies, e.g. Ministry of Industry

Provide students with exposure to real-case problems & peer learning during training

Ministry of Cooperatives and MSMEs

Relevant ministries and government agencies, e.g. Ministry of Industry

Higher education institutions, think tanks, or other research organizations

Recruit practitioners as teachers

Ministry of Communications and Informatics

Relevant ministries and government agencies, e.g. Ministry of Industry

Facilitate networking

Higher education institutions, think tanks, or other research organizations

Indicator of Success

Students’ job-readiness

Average speed of job placement post-graduation for program graduates

Create a crowdfunding regulation for MSMEs

Digital Talent Scholarship. https://pik.dev.kominfo.go.id/faq [accessed 18 May 2022]
Ministry officially opens 2022 Digital Talent Scholarship. https://en.antaranews.com/news/229929/ministry-officially-opens-2022-digital-talent-scholarship [accessed 18 May 2022]

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Improve the job-readiness of Digital Talent Scholarship graduates

Policies Involved

Challenge

Current Policy

Action

Indicator of Success

Create a crowdfunding regulation for MSMEs

Repatriate Indonesian tech talent