Indonesia, Australia roll out worker exchange programme

At IA-CEPA signing ceremony (Photo: AFP)

Hanoi (VNA) – Indonesia will conduct a worker-exchange programme with Australia to boost its human resources, a senior government official announced just days after the Indonesia-Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) entered into force.

Indonesian Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto said Indonesian workers in health care, telecommunication, transportation, tourism and other sectors were eligible to join the programme and could get up to six months of training and work experience in Australia.

The government is aiming for 100 Indonesian workers to join the programme in the first year, while the number of participants is expected to gradually increase to 500 within five years.

During a video press conference last weekend, Suparmanto said the government will partner with the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin), the Indonesian Employers Association (Apindo) and the Indonesian-Australian Business Council (IABC) during the implementation.

With the IA-CEPA, he said Indonesia aimed to slash the country’s export deficit to Australia by half in 2021 to around 1.5 billion USD from 3.2 billion USD last year.

Furthermore, Indonesia and Australia have also decided to prioritise industry partnerships in food agriculture and electric vehicles as well as technical and vocational education and training (TVET) within the first year of IA-CEPA, according to the minister./.