BEKASI | INDATANEWS.COM - Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower is expanding vocational training opportunities for people with disabilities through specialised training centres to improve their access to decent work. By providing skills-based training, the ministry aims to equip participants with abilities that meet industry requirements and help them secure equal employment opportunities.
Manpower Minister
Yassierli made the statement on Friday, 9 October 2026, when opening a workplace disability awareness session for companies and civil servants in Cikarang, Bekasi Regency, West Java Province.
The programme recognises improved vocational skills and accessible workplaces as essential conditions for creating an inclusive working environment. The government is also urging companies and public institutions to change their attitudes towards employees with disabilities. Rather than emphasising sympathy, employers should recognise their abilities and contributions.
Skills Training Tailored to Industry Needs
The specialised vocational training centres for people with disabilities offer courses in various fields, including call centre operations, sewing and barista skills. These programmes provide practical training designed to help participants enter the workforce.
Through these courses, participants can develop their abilities according to their interests and individual potential. The skills they acquire are also intended to help companies assess candidates with disabilities against professional standards and the requirements of specific roles.
Yassierli stressed that every citizen has the right to employment. Companies must therefore give people with disabilities equal opportunities to apply for jobs and demonstrate their capabilities.
"Every citizen has the right to work and live a decent life, as this is a constitutional mandate. We want to turn the hopelessness experienced by our fellow citizens with disabilities into hope and genuine smiles. Their presence in the workplace must not be seen as a burden, but must instead create added value,"
Yassierli said.
According to the minister, vocational training is an important means of preparing people with disabilities for recruitment processes and workplace requirements. With relevant qualifications, they can compete on the basis of their abilities, experience and expertise.
The government expects companies not to regard disability as a reason to restrict an individual's employment opportunities. Instead, employers should assess how well candidates' skills match the duties and responsibilities of the positions available.
"This is precisely the expertise we develop at our training centres, so that companies recruit people with disabilities based on their competencies rather than out of pity, which can in turn make those concerned feel uncomfortable," he explained.
The statement highlights the importance of recognising employees with disabilities as qualified professionals who can make tangible contributions to business performance. A competency-based approach can also help companies establish more objective recruitment procedures and avoid discriminatory practices.
RECRUITMENT BASED ON COMPETENCE: Manpower Minister Yassierli stresses that companies should recruit people with disabilities based on their competencies and expertise, rather than out of pity. (PHOTO: Ministry of Manpower Press and Public Relations Office/Kemnaker)
Assistive Technology for Accessible Workplaces
Beyond providing vocational skills, the specialised training centres serve as a model for supplying supportive facilities and assistive technologies. These resources are intended to help people with disabilities perform their professional duties according to their individual needs.
During the event, the government demonstrated the use of voice-controlled assistance systems, known as voice assistants, and Braille. Both solutions illustrate how accessible technologies can help people with disabilities overcome barriers in their daily working lives.
Accessible facilities play a crucial role in ensuring that equal opportunities continue beyond the recruitment stage. Companies must also consider employees' needs once they have entered the workforce. These include access to information, the use of work equipment and the ability to carry out professional duties independently.
Requirements may vary depending on the type of disability and the nature of the job. Companies should therefore identify potential workplace barriers and provide appropriate support so that all employees can make the best possible use of their abilities.
Assistive technologies and accessible facilities can also help businesses create working environments that embrace diversity. With appropriate support, people with disabilities have better opportunities to work independently, improve their productivity and advance their careers.
Achieving this requires cooperation between employers, those responsible for workplace facilities, and colleagues. Understanding the needs of people with disabilities is essential, enabling companies not only to improve physical accessibility but also to foster a workplace culture that respects differences.
PROMOTING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES: The Ministry of Manpower is encouraging the use of assistive technologies, including voice assistants and Braille, to promote an inclusive working environment. (PHOTO: Ministry of Manpower Press and Public Relations Office/Kemnaker)
Companies Must Guarantee Equal Employment Opportunities
Through Law No. 8 of 2016 on Persons with Disabilities, the Indonesian government established obligations for companies and public institutions concerning the employment of people with disabilities. The legislation provides an important foundation for expanding their participation in the workforce.
The law requires private companies to recruit people with disabilities to account for at least one per cent of their workforce. Public institutions and state-owned enterprises, meanwhile, must ensure that people with disabilities make up at least two per cent of their employees.
These requirements demonstrate that access to employment is not merely a matter of corporate social responsibility, but also an essential part of upholding citizens' rights. Companies and public institutions must translate these obligations into concrete measures, including recruitment policies, professional development opportunities and the provision of accessible workplaces.
Beyond meeting the prescribed employment quotas, employers must ensure that people with disabilities receive fair treatment throughout their employment. Companies should prevent bullying, exclusion and discriminatory treatment that could prevent employees from demonstrating their abilities.
An inclusive working environment requires participation at every level of an organisation. Managers, human resources departments, direct supervisors and colleagues must understand how to interact appropriately with employees with disabilities. The awareness session is intended to strengthen this understanding and help companies foster a workplace climate that respects everyone's dignity.
Implementing inclusion must also involve regular reviews of facilities and working procedures. Companies can, for example, assess building access, communication tools, work equipment and information-sharing procedures to ensure that employees with disabilities can perform their duties effectively.
At the same time, people with disabilities must have equal opportunities to participate in training, develop their skills, advance professionally and contribute to decision-making in line with their responsibilities. Equal employment opportunities should therefore be measured not only by the number of people recruited, but also by the quality of their working experiences and the professional development opportunities available to them.
The expansion of specialised vocational training centres forms part of the government's efforts to align skills development with economic needs. However, the success of these measures also depends on whether companies open up access to recruitment processes, provide the necessary support and assess employees according to their abilities and performance.
Through tailored training, assistive technologies and inclusive labour market policies, the government aims to promote a world of work that offers people with disabilities broader opportunities. These efforts are also intended to strengthen their participation in economic life while enabling businesses to make better use of the potential of a more diverse workforce. (IDNC)
REPORTER:
Ahmad Zulfikar | EDITOR:
Fik Sagala