With the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) coming into full effect this year,  there have been tremendous efforts made to improve the capabilities of employees.

Yet, long before AEC was launched, most state-owned enterprises (SOEs) already conducted Human Resource Development (HRD) programs to improve the quality of their staff and employees.

Aside from employee training programs, the commitment of the employees is another factor that companies need to nurture from the very beginning. “Don’t let the human resources with huge potential and talent choose to jump ship and work for foreign companies because they think their career is more guaranteed by working there,” an HR consultant cautioned.

The consultant referred to Law No.13/2003 Article I, paragraph 9, which stipulates that employee training comprise the overall activities aimed at providing, getting, improving and developing work competence, productivity, discipline, characters and work ethics at the regarding specific skills and capabilities based on the positions and qualifications.

“Employee training that is sustainably designed to meet the needs of each division will ensure employees are more committed to the company,” he added.

Most SOEs currently have intensified their HRD programs through activities at their training and education centers in accordance with the relevant skill set and field.

The training center of PT Garuda Indonesia in Duri Kosambi, West Jakarta, for instance, is continuously undergoing development and improvement. In the next five years, the training center and all the facilities therein will be doubled; the center will occupy an area of 6.5 hectares.

The Garuda Indonesia Training Center is the place for developing human resources for the flag carrier. The big campus, which is complete with classrooms, office space, dormitories, multifunction hall, and sport facilities, was inaugurated on 10 November 1986. The center has a sophisticated flight simulator, cockpit procedure trainer, flight safety mock-up, and other computer devices needed in running an airline.

The education and training complex has several training facilities for cockpit crew, technicians, commercial staff, passenger service staff and general affairs and management training. The center also provides various types of courses for employees of other airlines, and it also rents out its flight simulator.

The Garuda Indonesia Training Center conducts all of the education and training programs for cockpit crew (pilots and flight technicians). Pilots who already possess a commercial pilot’s license (CPL) get advanced training and education on how to fly Garuda Indonesia jets. The Pre-Advance Course is the first level in the series of courses taught at the center, followed by the Type Rating Course. Next, the participants take part in training for operating equipment in the cockpit while flight training is conducted through the flight simulator. After passing the courses, the participants can then fly real aircraft.

Garuda Indonesia also provides training on the flight simulator to domestic airlines, such as Pelita Air Service, and MNA, as well as to foreign airlines, including Korean Airlines, East West (Australia), Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Finn Air (Finland), Malaysia Airlines, Air Nugini, and Philippine Airlines. Each participant having passed the courses will be guided by a senior pilot for a few months before earning Garuda Indonesia pilot wings.

Anticipation

The expansion of the education and training center is to anticipate and adapt to the rapid technological advancement in air travel, including in preparation for welcoming Garuda Indonesia’s newest aircraft, like the MD-11, Boeing 747-400 and F-100.

The need for personnel for the government-owned airline is expected to continue to rise. Garuda Indonesia will need more mechanics, air stewards, pilots and engineers from various disciplines.

And with the need for the transfer of technology that accompanies the arrival of the new fleet, the expansion project is deemed well-timed. With a more modern center, at least to cover the operational needs of the airline, Garuda Indonesia Group won’t need to be dependent on other companies. The Head of Garuda Indonesia Training Center, Captain Dharmadi asserted that to operate the planes, Garuda Indonesia should be independent and have its own human resources ready for the task.

“The mission of the education and training center is to especially contribute to the success of developing the human resources owned by Garuda Indonesia Group, as the benchmark of the service provider industry. To do this, the airline provides training and education which answer to the rapid growth of the technology. The center also aims at becoming an air transportation training institution the country can be proud of,” Dharmadi said.

Oil and gas

The oil and gas industry is an industry intensive in technology requiring huge capital and presents a lot risks. Hence, competent human resources are very important for the development of this industry.

The Oil and Gas Education and Training Center has the main duties of providing education and training for the oil and gas sector. And to achieve maximum results, the center needs to come up with effective programs. This can be done by formulating the roadmap which reveals the needs for oil and gas human resources for the 2017-2021 period.

Aside from the management and the functional officials of the Oil and Gas Education and training Center, there are also representatives from the Special Task Force for Upstream Oil and Gas Business Activities (SKK Migas) and the Oil and Gas Directorate General.

Lolo Marbun of SKK Migas said the trend of upstream oil and gas activities was dominated by gas production and was directed toward the eastern part of Indonesia. This is in line with the presentation given by head of Oil and Gas Education and Training Center Edi Prasodjo who underlined that the focus of the training has shifted to community empowerment, especially in the oil and gas-producing regions.

The secretary of the Oil and Gas Directorate General, Susyanto, said the shift in focus still took into account the need for the training of the apparatus and the need for upstream oil and gas knowhow especially in subjects related to processing and transportation.

Training session: The Public Works and Housing Ministry holds a training on staff performance assessment facilitator. The training was designed to enhance the skills of the staff for the Asean Economic Community.(The Public Works and Housing Ministry)

He said that it was time the human resources development organized by the center to expand its focus not only at the level of operators and technicians, but also at the level of engineers.

Through focus group discussion involving elements of the industry, the programs are expected to be more on target. So, there should be a joint commitment to providing local human resources with international-level qualifications and national integrity.

Some SOEs have established higher education institutions in the form of the commitment to participating in educating the nation and improving the quality of the national education.

PT PLN, for instance, has established PLN Corporate University as one of the company’s strategic instruments to integrate all educational and human resources and processes within the company. The integration will lead to a better performance as the company can continue to improve the knowledge, skills and characteristics of the people within its business ecosystem.

Through the Pertamina Foundation, PT Pertamina has established Universitas Pertamina (UP). The university is a way for the company to contribute to the betterment of the community, either at the local level or in the global scope by providing quality and affordable education.

UP is located on Jl. Teuku Nyak Arief, Simprug, South Jakarta. Equipped with Pertamina’s experience in running a training center for its employees and successfully improving the quality of the human resources, especially in the corporate sector, Pertamina Foundation founded this higher education institution.

“With the full support and cooperation from PT Pertamina, we are offering an opportunity to learn and conduct research directly with the energy business players in Indonesia,” the UP website states.

With the focus on the energy and renewable energy business, UP committed to becoming a higher education institution that builds human capital, and to developing science and technology and innovation in the energy industry, especially for Indonesia, as well as participating in educating the nation.

UP has six facilities with 15 study programs, offering choices of various study programs for students.

The various choices give opportunities for the students to develop their knowledge and to conduct researches, as well have different approaches in various disciplines. UP also offers scholarships to academically gifted students from underprivileged families. (JP)