Jakarta, March 1st 2023– In collaboration with Lautan Luas, YCAB Foundation launched a Data Science intervention program for 500 senior high school students which began its implementation from January to June 2023.
Along with the rapidly increasing need for digital experts in Indonesia, it is recorded that 80% of companies in Indonesia need digital experts. However, in the digital field, there is a lack of competent skills acquired by Indonesian youth. In February 2022, the Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics reported that the unemployment rate amounted to 5.83% among the total working age population of 208.54 million people in the country, with the largest majority among them being vocational and high school graduates, respectively constituting 10.38% and 8.35%.
High unemployment rate occurs when the labor force cannot be absorbed by industries. Corresponding this statement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo stated that Indonesia needs 9 million digital talents by 2030. This collaboration program was organized in order to prepare reliable and relevant digital personnels who are capable of answering the needs of the current industry.
Lautan Luas together with YCAB Foundation provided interventions to 500 vocational and high school students in West Jakarta regarding Data Science and work readiness. This program will provide training and mentoring for 24 weeks in the hopes that these interventions can address the shortage of digital talent. Students will get to learn the logistics behind various social media platforms, such as YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok through the collaborative filtering method. For example, they will learn how data can be processed and inserted to a YouTube recommendation system through collaborative filtering algorithms and machine learning processes. Besides YouTube algorithms, students get to learn how amidst millions of transactions per day, Gojek uses linear regression in order for users to find drivers in a split second. Additionally, the data clustering process which is the basis of search engines will also be taught in these interventions. Lastly, students will also train to collect, identify, process, as well as grouping data as a means for them to not only have problem solving capabilities, but to think logically and analytically. Moreover, this collaborative program with Lautan Luas offers activities and modules based on the needs of youth together with the current trends in the technology industry. Post training, students will receive career assistance which aims to prepare them for job interviews, better understand their interests and talents, and to help determine their future career choices.
“I believe in the importance of education as a means to develop a unique perspective on life. Through this collaborative Data Science program taught to vocational and high school students, we hope that it can help future generations to increase their creativity and logic in processing information as well as help contribute to developing a world that is in harmony with our new vision, ‘a better world through what we do.” said Jimmy Masrin, Vice President Director of Lautan Luas.
“This program with Lautan Luas is essential in creating and preparing youth to enter the workforce, especially in digital knowledge and skills. We are of course thrilled with this collaboration, especially since this program is in accordance with the government’s vision of Indonesia’s digital economy which will grow rapidly up to 8 times by 2030.” said Veronica Colondam, Founder and CEO of YCAB Foundation.
YCAB Foundation and Lautan Luas believe that the Indonesian youth needs to have good digital and data knowledge as a means to adapt with the modernization and increasing use of digital data in the current job industry. The more they can master it, the more likely they can compete and face the workforce environment.