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Don’t be afraid to start businesses, Jokowi tells youth
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North Sumatra Governor T. Erry Nuradi (left) welcomes President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during Jokowi's work visit to the province. (JP/Apriadi Gunawan)
P
resident Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has called on the country’s young people to hone their entrepreneurial skills in order to secure an early start in the business word to fend off tougher and tougher global competition.
“Those of you who are in high school and in higher education, make sure you do everything to do with entrepreneurship. Don’t be afraid to start,” he said during the opening of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association’s (Hipmi) 16th national working meeting on Monday.
“The more you rise and fall, the riper we will become. We must do everything well because we will face tougher competition. The world is becoming much more open.”
(Read also: Ministry targets entrepreneurship rate to hit 4% this year)
Developing human resources is one of the highest priorities for the government because Indonesia is expected to have a demographic bonus between 2030 and 2035, the President said, referring to a time when the number of people within the productive age bracket is higher than the number of elderly people and children.
“During that time, 52 percent of our population will be within productive ages and this will be our strength. However, if we fail [to develop human resources], then this will be a great burden for the country to bear,” he said.
According to the Asian Development Bank, one in three young Indonesians remains unemployed for 12-month periods despite having a tertiary education, reflecting a disconnect between the skills owned by Indonesian youth and industry requirements. (bbn)
