INDONESIAN WORKERS TO UNDERGO 200 HOURS OF COMPULSORY COMPETENCY TRAINING

JAKARTA, Nov 20 (Bernama) -- Indonesians seeking employment overseas will be
required to undergo 200 hours of compulsory competency training to enhance their
competitive edge in the employment market.

Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Muhaimin Iskandar said
the tighter rules were enforced to equip them with a competitive edge when
seeking employment overseas.

"Indonesians who wished to go overseas in search of employment must pass the
standard 200 hours of competency training," said Muhaimin in his ministry's
website Thursday.

He added that the government would also enhance the system of sending
workers overseas so that they would be protected and not ill-treated by their
employers.

Muhaimin who returned from a working visit to Malaysia said the training
module would be carried out in accordance with their job specs, like maids or
construction workers but did not say where or who would conduct such training.

He added that the Indonesian government would also increase efforts to wipe
out the menace posed by middleman who cause delays in the recruitment progress,
thus forcing would be workers to choose alternative illegal ways to seek
employment, especially in Malaysia.

"We are going to increase cooperation with the police and immigration
departments to prevent such cases," he said.

-- BERNAMA