In a workshop overlooking paddy fields on the eastern edge of Java, Dimas Firmansyah is tinkering away on a large truck engine. A lanky 18-year-old in a hard hat and work shirt, he hopes to find a job repairing coal machinery when he graduates in a few months. Thanks to his school’s revamped curriculum and corporate partnerships, he almost certainly will.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto — who has advertised ambitious, industry-heavy growth goals for the coming years — needs many more Firmansyahs. Southeast Asia’s most populous economy has the world’s fourth-largest workforce, but more than a third of Indonesians over 15 have only a primary school education or less.
Vital vocational training, like this class some 640 kilometers east of Jakarta, too often falls short because of poor teaching and a dearth of basic equipment.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.