Denpasar, LenteraEsai.id – Indonesia – Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) between the governments of Indonesia and Australia was established on 4 March 2019 in Jakarta.
This signing is a milestone in the strengthening of cooperative relations in the economic field between Indonesia and Australia and at the same time as a sign of strengthening bilateral relations both now and in the future.
This signing is considered very important given the lack of trade and investment values, especially from Indonesia to Australia, so that a trade balance and business development in the export-import sector cannot be achieved as outlined in the IA-CEPA.
The sectors under IA-CEPA are trade in goods, trade in services, investment, e-commerce, competition policy, economic cooperation, and institutional and framework provisions. Matters included in trade in goods are rules of origin, custom producers and trade facilitation, technical barriers to trade, sanitary and phytosanitary.
As for trade in services, including movement of natural persons, financial services, telecommunications, and professional services.
The IACEPA MoU was ratified by the Australian Parliament in December 2019, while in Indonesia it will only be ratified in January / February 2020.
Two MoUs included in the IACEPA are MoUs related to the field of vocational education, where educational institutions in Australia are given the opportunity to work closely with educational institutions in Indonesia to conduct workforce training or international standard vocational training or AQF (Australia Qualification Framework), so it can compete in the world of work both in Indonesia and abroad, especially Australia.
Under the umbrella of the MoU on vocational education is also given the opportunity for students or teachers or skilled workers from Indonesia who meet the requirements to be able to participate in training programs in the field of educational institutions or companies in Australia that have been registered in the list of sponsors of Australia’s training visa.
In addition to the MoU on vocational education or training, also agreed on the MoU on the Indonesia-Australia Skills Development Exchange Pilot Project, namely the exchange of experts or skilled or experienced from Indonesia to Australia and working in companies in Australia in accordance with their respective fields of expertise.
As one form of implementation of IACEPA in the field of vocational and training, LPK Lumbung Deso, represented by Yoyok Pitoyo SE as director of the LPK who also serves as Chairperson of KOPITU (United Indonesia UMKM Entrepreneur Committee) headquartered in Purwokerto (Central Java), and New Era Institute (Sydney, Australia) represented by Business Development Director, Dr. Khaled Hammad; agreed to cooperate in the vocational field, namely by organizing D2 level expertise education in the field of international standard Early Childhood Education and Care recognized in Australia with the qualifications of the graduates are Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care and the Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care.
The training system is carried out to Australian standards and graduates from the Program will have the opportunity to attend training in institutions such as family care or children care in Australia and Indonesia, or in other countries. As for the teaching system, it is carried out with an on-shore system (Sydney Campus, Australia) and off-shore (Purwokerto Campus, Central Java).
For students the on-shore program will begin to be placed for training programs in Australia after the first three months of study, according to their qualifications. Whereas for off-shore workers.
After the signing of the MoU, Yoyok Pitoyo explained that so far many Indonesian ‘students’ had difficulties in formal employment in Australia.
“With this training, students do not need to worry because there are guarantees for training and work. The working period can be done in Australia or Indonesia, because later planned to open a number of Australian-standard hospitals in cities in Indonesia,” said Yoyok.
Regarding the requirements, Yoyok gave a description between the ages of 18-40 years and at least received education at the senior secondary level.
“For salaries received around Rp 30 million – Rp 40 million per month. Because the average per hour workers will get 19-20 dollars,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Khaled Hammad added, he was grateful for the openness of the Indonesian Government which gave way to training institutions in Australia to conduct an education system in Indonesia, this time in collaboration with LPK Lumbung Deso.
“So far, bilateral relations between the two countries of Australia and Indonesia have been well established. Currently there are 16 countries working with us, the New Era Institute. We hope that this cooperation can improve the skills of young people so that they have Australian or international competence. Thus, it will be easy to get a job at the international level, “said Dr. Khaled.
Regarding the matter of Indonesian workers in Australia, stressed Mr. Khaled, does have its own positive values. Among other things, hard worker, discipline, and have a high willingness to learn.
“What we see is only a matter of language that needs to be improved. So with this cooperation, hopefully it can be a solution to the problem of language,” he explained. (LE-DP)