The geographical and technological constraints unique to the rural and remote areas (or 3T regions) in Indonesia impose barriers for existing formal education programs often induced by the limited access to reliable internet, a low teaching output, and a low digital literacy index that interferes with the formal education program’s ability to deliver digital skills training. Hence, non-formal education programs that supplement existing formal education programs to facilitate digital training in Indonesia’s 3T regions is paramount in stimulating the growth of digital talents.

As BAKTI continues to play an integral role in bridging the digital divide by building ICT infrastructure to universalize internet access, we have designed a series of complementary digital training programs aimed at optimizing the productive utilization of the ICT infrastructure and to deliver a new wave of digital talent from Indonesia’s 3T regions. To accomplish this mission, BAKTI launched ICT Vocational Training, a certified free digital training program to educate and upskill individuals in 3T regions that receive BAKTI’s universal service obligation (USO) internet access.

The training program encapsulates three integrated and interconnected sub-programs with digital training provided in Occupational, Safety, and Health Standards, Basic and Intermediate Network Infrastructure, and Project Management. The program acquired a total of 100 participants in 2022 and supported by BALITBANG (Research and Development Division) and a consortium of ICT Infrastructure Providers.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iA33oOSJ5m7KamcP2hKYQbAbt4CC9-tP/edit?usp=drive_link

• Indonesia

• Youth
• The unemployed

The replicability of BAKTI ICT Vocational Training is evidenced through the lessons learned by BAKTI as we consistently elevate the implementation strategy to replicate this program in other remote and underdeveloped areas of Indonesia. The program has experienced several transformative phases, where BAKTI applied a series of modular and adaptive approaches to the program design, identifying the characteristics that constitutes as emerging digital skills needed for the digital economy, whilst also curating a holistic learning
curriculum that considers the differing digital literacy levels of participants together with the strategic partner.

As the program continues to evolve, the program will continue reinforcing connections with local micro-small businesses to provide participants with opportunities to apply the skills learned from the program into a real-world setting. In the program, students are tasked to work with local ICT providers to strategize and implement solutions aimed at accelerating provision of internet in remote and rural areas. The replicability of the BAKTI ICT Vocational Training program is also rooted in the course materials and digital
platforms used to deliver training.

Beyond using a website as a versatile medium to deliver digital training, the strategic partnerships established with key stakeholders in the public sector ensures that every aspect of the program remains meaningful, valuable, and engaging for target beneficiaries. Such partnerships and alliances can be emphasized through BAKTI’s socialization and coordination efforts with authorized training agencies.

We have leveraged the analytical BAKTI DNA Ecosystem dashboard that contain all information on the remote and rural locations that need Whole-of-Government approach interventions. The dashboard have been developed by integrating 5 relevant indices, such as Human Development Index, E-Government Readiness Index, Digital Literacy Index, Village Development Index, and Digital Society Index from 2021 datasets. From here, the datasets will recommend location candidates for each six sectors that are related to MICT strategic plan. As part of the planning process, when the location candidates are identified, we conducted desktop research to hypothesize on problem statements and list down target beneficiaries (typically categorized as 15 community groups) who will receive the digital ecosystem solution initiatives over period of time. When the locations are considered challenging, we will deploy our data enumerators onto the field to gather more insights on the ICT infrastructure readiness and community's reception towards our program. The implementation phase typically goes in parallel with monitoring and evaluation and executed together with strategic partners, donors, and local government agencies. To ensure timely delivery, we are partnering with project implementation units to manage the work load and identify potential backlogs that require swift solutions on the ground. Our strategic partners such as BALITBANG and Telco Operators consortium would continue supporting BAKTI through technical material submission or direct presentation on D-Day.