Indonesia targets 500,000 certified migrant workers via SMK Go Global

The Indonesian government has launched the ‘SMK Go Global’ program, aiming to place 500,000 Indonesian migrant workers abroad by 2029. According to Deputy Minister of Migrant Worker Protection Christina Aryani, the initiative focuses on ensuring workers are competent and certified to meet international industry standards and prevent issues arising from unskilled labor.

The target includes 300,000 individuals from vocational (SMK) and high school (SMA) backgrounds, with the remaining 200,000 drawn from the general public. For 2026, the government has set an initial target of 40,000 workers. The program emphasizes upskilling in technical abilities and language proficiency to match the specific needs of destination countries, which include Japan, South Korea, Germany, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, various European nations, Turkey, Taiwan, and the Maldives.

To prevent human trafficking and non-procedural placement, the program facilitates legal and procedural access to overseas employment. Currently, the third wave of registration for Batch I is open for the Jakarta region from September 3 to September 9, 2026, via online application.