Universities called to establish Migrant Centers for skilled worker training

Deputy minister urges universities to build Migrant Centers

Deputy Minister of Migrant Workers Protection Dzulfikar Ahmad Tawalla has called on Indonesian universities to establish Migrant Centers aimed at preparing competent workers to meet rising demand for formal labor placements abroad. The initiative reflects the government's broader strategy to strengthen the formal placement ecosystem under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Migrant Center at Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya on Saturday, August 29, 2026, Tawalla revealed that the government recently held discussions with approximately 23 universities regarding facility development. The Ministry of Migrant Workers Protection, which was elevated to full ministerial status in October 2024, has made expansion of training infrastructure a central pillar of its policy framework.

Currently, around eight universities operate facilities similar to Surabaya's new center, including the University of Indonesia, Veteran National Development University Yogyakarta, Hasanuddin University, and Lambung Mangkurat University. Tawalla expressed hope that more institutions would join the network to support the government's goal of preparing 500,000 skilled migrant workers for deployment in line with global labor market demand.

The push for university-based training centers comes as Indonesia works to shift away from domestic sector placements toward more skilled occupations. In the first half of 2026 alone, 153,049 Indonesian migrant workers were placed in various countries, with Taiwan receiving 32 percent of these workers. Caregiving emerged as the largest occupation category with 30,514 workers, followed by plantation work, domestic services, and production operations.

Migrant worker remittances represent a crucial economic pillar for Indonesia, reaching US$4.536 billion in the first quarter of 2026 and totaling US$17.255 billion throughout 2025. These remittances constitute the nation's second-largest source of foreign exchange reserves after the oil and gas sector, underscoring the economic significance of improving worker quality and protection.

Expanding Global Opportunities

The ministry's 100-day program has prioritized expanding job markets for Indonesian migrant workers in the United States, Canada, and Germany, alongside improving governance of placement companies. Recent diplomatic efforts include a memorandum of understanding signed with Albania on July 30, 2026, for worker placement and protection, with implementation expected by year-end under the SMK Go Global program directive.

Government data reveals that only 3 percent of Indonesian migrant workers currently hold university degrees, while 45 percent are high school graduates and 32 percent have completed junior high school. This educational profile highlights the importance of university-based training centers in elevating worker qualifications and competitiveness in international labor markets.

Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya Rector Prof. Mundakir emphasized that the new Migrant Center would serve not only university students but also collaborate with secondary schools, particularly senior high schools and vocational institutions, to recruit program participants. The center will also accept graduates from diploma and bachelor's degree programs seeking training before overseas employment.

Training programs at the Surabaya facility cover caregiving, professional nursing, construction, and other technical fields tailored to overseas employer requirements. Language instruction in English, Mandarin, Japanese, and German is also provided to build participants' communication skills for international work environments.

According to Bank Indonesia data from the first quarter of 2026, Malaysia remains the largest remittance corridor at US$1.209 billion, followed by Saudi Arabia at US$1.005 billion, Taiwan at US$801 million, and Hong Kong at US$691 million. With 4.209 million Indonesian migrant workers currently abroad, the government views enhanced training infrastructure as essential to ensuring their competitiveness and protection in diverse labor markets worldwide.