PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - The Bekasi Regency Government is expanding access to industry-based job training to prepare local human resources ready to work through collaboration with the government and the business world.

Head of the Bekasi Regency Manpower Office, Ida Farida, said that the potential of the largest industrial area in Southeast Asia requires skilled workers who are in line with developments in the business world.

"The directive from the central government motivates us to continue fighting for greater access to training for the people of Bekasi Regency. We will officially issue a letter requesting that training classes be prioritized for Bekasi Regency residents," Ida said on July 21, 2026.

He explained that there are around 130 types of training available through various schemes, ranging from welding, piping, electricity, to other technical fields.

According to Ida, the Bekasi Regency Manpower Office is also expanding cooperation with companies to utilize government training facilities and increase local workforce absorption.

"We realize that the current BLK infrastructure hasn't fully kept pace with industrial technological developments. However, we're not standing still. We're building collaborations with companies to maximize the use of training facilities, ultimately resulting in local employment," he said.

He said that the regional government is aligning training programs with industry needs through coordination with senior high schools, vocational high schools, Islamic high schools, Special Job Exchanges, and the West Java Regional Office III Branch Office.

"The type of training must be truly tailored to industry needs. This way, participants have a greater chance of entering the workforce directly. We have coordinated with high schools (SMA), vocational schools (SMK), Islamic high schools (MAN), community service agencies (BKK), and the Regional Office for Community Development (KCD) III and will continue to do so," he said.

Ida ensured that regional budget limitations would not hinder the improvement of workforce competency as the government sought alternative funding with various parties.

"Currently, regional budgets are still limited. However, we are exploring various synergy strategies. Regional governments provide human resources, ministries support training, and companies become partners in the workforce placement process," he explained.

He said that the training, which was conducted in collaboration with the West Java Provincial Government, had produced participants from Bekasi Regency who achieved success and were immediately recruited by companies.

Going forward, the Bekasi Regency Government proposes strengthening the Vocational Training Center facilities to enable them to keep pace with developments in industrial technology, including electric vehicles and modern manufacturing.

Ida also encouraged companies to expand national internship programs for final-year students and recent graduates as a bridge to the world of work.

"We hope that more companies will open internship programs and report their workforce needs to the local government. With strong collaboration between the government, education, and industry, more Bekasi Regency residents can be absorbed into the workforce," he concluded.

(Bekasi Regency Communications, Information and Sanitation Service/bhf)