PORTALJABAR, CIAMIS REGENCY - Ciamis Regent Herdiat Sunarya opened the Tailor Made Training (TMT) at PT Chihaya Global Utama (CGU) on Monday (26/10/2026) to improve the competence of local workers and expand job opportunities.

The activity was combined with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Bandung Vocational and Productivity Training Center (BBPVP), the Ministry of Manpower of the Republic of Indonesia, and the Ciamis Regency Government.

Herdiat said that the presence of investors was one of the ideals he wanted to realize to encourage economic growth and create jobs in Ciamis.

"This is one of my dreams: to have investors willing to invest in Ciamis Regency," said Herdiat.

He admitted that he was pessimistic because Ciamis had limited transportation access, such as the lack of an airport, port, or toll road.

He believes investment plays a crucial role in improving community welfare. PT CGU's presence is expected to open up job opportunities for residents and improve the skills of the local workforce.

Herdiat also highlighted the employment situation in Ciamis. He stated that the current unemployment rate is 4.08 percent, down from 7.2 percent about eight years ago.

However, he assessed that the decline in unemployment figures was not in line with the poverty rate, which he said was at 7.19 percent.

"Reducing unemployment should go hand in hand with reducing poverty. This is a shared responsibility that we must complete," he said.

Herdiat hopes that the memorandum of understanding with BBPVP Bandung will not remain a ceremonial activity, but will be followed up through concrete programs and ongoing collaboration between the government, the business world, and the community.

He advised the training participants to take the entire learning process seriously so that they could become professional, skilled, and competitive workers.

He also asked PT CGU management to pay attention to the welfare and safety of workers through a safe, comfortable, and conducive work environment to support the company's work ethic and productivity.

The training is targeted to reach 240 people.

Head of the Ciamis Regency Manpower Office, Dase Fadlil Yusdy Mubarak, explained that the training aims to improve the quality and competitiveness of local workers, prepare workers according to industry needs, and expand employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.

In 2026, the Ciamis Regency Manpower Office is targeting training for 240 people through the Workforce Training and Productivity Sector.

To date, 146 people have participated in the training, consisting of 114 people funded through the Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBD) and 32 people through the Tobacco Excise Revenue Sharing Fund (DBHCHT).

The types of training that have been implemented include special culinary arts for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) program, general culinary arts, sewing, and make-up artist (MUA).

Through collaboration between the government and industry, this program is expected to align the skills of Ciamis' workforce with the needs of the job market while expanding employment opportunities for the community.

(Prokopim Ciamis Regency/bhf)