| 2025-05-28Source：Xinhua |
NANNING/JAKARTA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- China and Indonesia are deepening cooperation in vocational education through joint initiatives between businesses and academic institutions, aiming to cultivate a new generation of globally minded professionals to bolster bilateral ties and drive regional growth. Mochamad Zharfan Tachvidi, an Indonesian working in after-sales support at LiuGong Machinery Indonesia -- a Jakarta-based subsidiary of Chinese multinational machinery manufacturer LiuGong -- is among the beneficiaries of such joint training programs. While studying heavy equipment engineering at Jakarta State Polytechnic, he participated in a three-month training program in 2023 at Liuzhou Polytechnic University in Liuzhou, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, home to LiuGong's China headquarters. He later interned at both the company's headquarters in China and its Indonesian subsidiary, and was offered a full-time position at LiuGong Machinery Indonesia before graduating in 2024. Speaking with Xinhua, he said he gained both theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience from the training program and internships, which prepared him for a smooth transition into the workforce. Since 2022, LiuGong has partnered with Liuzhou Polytechnic University and a number of Indonesian universities to cultivate talent in the field of heavy equipment and machinery by offering specialized training programs, as part of the company's efforts to expand its presence and support local workforce development in Indonesia's growing market. According to Sahdan Fikri, the after-sales director at LiuGong Machinery Indonesia, more than 210 Indonesian students have attended the joint training program so far, and about 40 of them received scholarships to study in Liuzhou. Fifteen students who completed the programs now work for LiuGong Machinery Indonesia. The training program is a microcosm of the expanding cooperation between China and Indonesia in vocational education. Programs such as degree courses and short-term exchanges have helped upskill workers to meet the growing demand for skilled professionals amid deepening economic and trade ties between the two countries. Bilateral trade between China and Indonesia reached 147.8 billion U.S. dollars in 2024, up 6.1 percent from the previous year, according to China's foreign ministry. Last November, the China-Indonesia Institute of Modern Craftsmanship of New Energy Vehicle was jointly inaugurated in Indonesia by Liuzhou City Vocational College, Indonesia's Anand Industrial Training Institute and the Indonesian subsidiary of Chinese automaker SAIC-GM-Wuling. The institute aims to train talent in the field of electric vehicles. For multinationals like LiuGong, such partnerships in vocational education help address the challenge of finding skilled workers for overseas operations. Wei Linhua, director of international exchange at Liuzhou Polytechnic University, said that the joint training program with LiuGong and Indonesian institutions aims to solve the talent shortage facing LiuGong's overseas subsidiaries and distributors and improve the company's services for overseas clients. According to Muslimin, head of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Jakarta State Polytechnic, such programs help bridge the gap between education and industry, aligning academic training with the practical needs of the workforce. |
