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Enhancing indigenous Papuans' competency through education and training
Skill development: Apprentice students attend a training session on how to operate heavy equipment by using CAT simulators at Nemangkawi Mining Institute (NMI) in Timika, Mimika regency, Papua
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span class="inline inline-center">Skill development: Apprentice students attend a training session on how to operate heavy equipment by using CAT simulators at Nemangkawi Mining Institute (NMI) in Timika, Mimika regency, Papua. Courtesy of Freeport Indonesia
Partnership allows Freeport Indonesia's Nemangkawi Mining Institute to reach apprentice candidates living in remote and difficult-to-access areas, and thus supports its commitment to local development.
Young Yery Beana, an indigenous Papuan of Amungme ethnicity, was pleased to hear that there was a highly reputed institute offering free job training programs in Timika, Mimika Regency.
Yet he was at first unsure if he was eligible.
Driven by a strong desire for a better future, the 20-year-old graduate of a junior high school (SMP) in Timika decided to apply for an apprenticeship at the Nemangkawi Mining Institute (IPN).
'It was very fortunate for an indigenous Papuan like me to have an opportunity to receive training at the school,' said softly-spoken Yery, recollecting his initial contact with the school three years ago.
'The first time I touched and held heavy equipment, I told myself that it was time to change my life for a better future,' said the fifth son of a poor farming family.
Despite his initial difficulties in dealing with the institute's discipline-and-procedure-based environment, he did not give up. 'It took about one and a half years for me to adjust to the school's regulations. It was hard at the beginning but gradually, over the course of three years, I become accustomed to it,' said the 23-year-old, who prepared for a job as a mechanic at copper and gold company PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).
Mikelda, 27, another indigenous Papuan, took a diploma in business administration program at the institute.
The graduate of a senior vocational school (SMK) specializing in accounting was similarly unsure about her future until she joined the institute, where she began a three-year D3 Business Administration Program in 2007.
For Mikelda, the school's procedures posed no problem, and she was able to adjust within four months. 'Classes started at 7 a.m. and I was never once absent. Thank God, I was selected as one of the best students and I was sent to Semarang State Polytechnic for my final one-year assignment,' recalled Mikelda, a member of the Mee ethnic group.
'Thanked to IPN's strict rules, I've been able to easily adapt to my current job,' said the mother of two, who currently works at PTFI's Community Public Health & Malaria Control Department in Timika.
Yery and Mikelda are among thousands of indigenous Papuans who were equally incapable and uncertain about the future, but who transformed themselves into competent employees following education and training programs at IPN.
Recent data from the institute show that of the 4300 Papuans working as permanent employees at PTFI, 2000 took apprenticeship programs at the institute, meaning that the institute contributed around 46 percent of indigenous Papuan permanent employees.
The data also show that the number of total permanent Papuan employees contributed by the institute, including those working at contractors partnering with PTFI, has reached 2,300 since the institute started operations in 2003.
IPN Superintendent for Miner and Operator Training, Alfons Malentang disclosed that since IPN opened, the number of indigenous Papuans working at PTFI had increased significantly, in line with the institute's commitment to local development.
With PTFI prioritizing indigenous Papuans in its workforce, the institute has issued a policy highly favorable to them, especially with requirements related to student composition and educational background.
At least 45 percent of apprentices must come from one of seven local ethnic groups, two of which are Amungme and Kamoro, living in Mimika Regency, where PTFI operates. Another 45 percent must be Papuans from outside the regency, also known as 'Papuan others', and the remaining 10 percent must be non-Papuans who have lived in Papua for a certain number of years.
Meanwhile, the minimum educational background for the seven ethnic groups is elementary school, and many are graduates of SMP or SMK.
Mini mining site
However, as Alfons acknowledged, finding indigenous Papuans, especially from the seven ethnic groups, was no simple task. 'Many Papuans of Amungme and Kamoro ethnicity live in hinterland villages in remote mountainous areas with little accessibility.'
That's why the institute partners with Timika Manpower Office and the Amungme and Kamoro Community Development Association (LPMAK), an NGO that manages partnership funds provided by PTFI.
The Timika Manpower Office helps coordinate candidates' registration or application, while LPMAK, with a strong network among local ethnic groups, 'assists us in finding apprenticeship candidates as it can easily reach them,' he said.
Meanwhile, IPN offers a world-class competency-based training system to support apprentice, pre-apprentice and adult education programs.
The eight-hectare mining institute, located at PTFI's Light Industrial Park (LIP), is equipped with a resource center including a technical library, five classroom blocks, two large workshops and three full-scale underground mining simulation areas with facilities for hauling, loading, dumping and ventilation. There are also 10 simulators for Caterpillars and Western Star trucks and equipment operations.
'This is what we call a mini mining site, because what you'd find in real mining sites can also be found here,' he said.
But producing competent employees is about more than just providing state-of-the art equipment and facilities. Candidates' behavior in line with work culture and ethics is also essential, according to Alfons.
Mathias Mansoben, 33, one of IPN's instructors, said that with many indigenous Papuans having low awareness about the importance of education, he also played a role as a motivator to encourage Papuans to pursue further education in order 'not to be sidelined'.
'I always tell the students that good behavior is vital in order to earn the respect of others,' he said. 'Being an instructor means not just transferring knowledge but changing students' behavior.'
Exploring the possibility of collaborations
Throughout its more than 10 years in operation, IPN has expanded its programs in line with PTFI's rising demand for higher-level staff.
Initially, the institute focused only on three areas: heavy equipment mechanics, operators and underground mining workers. More than 20 vocational training fields are currently on hand, including electricity, welding, general construction, shipping, administration, and warehousing.
At the same time, the institute has also recognized the advantages of expanded partnership to ensure the effective running of the program. In 2006, it initiated a partnership with Semarang State Polytechnic for a three-year D3 Business Administration program and a year later, it collaborated with the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) on a two-year MBA program.
The company had invested around US$15 million in the institute since 2003. 'We spend more than $5 million per year on operations, including allowances for apprentices,' Alfons said.
'We still have 372 apprentices and 22 D3 Students in the development process,' he added.
Regarding the future of IPN, especially in relation to funding, he said that efforts were underway to explore the possibility of collaborating with PTFI's partnering contractors operating in the same region.
Several contractors have expressed their eagerness to partner with IPN, particularly because they are also in need of competent employees. 'Thus, in the future, competent human resource-producing programs can continue, with funding coming from different sources,' he said. (Sudibyo M. Wiradji)
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