Referring to the 2015 census, Indonesia’s population is projected to reach 266.91 million in 2019. Of the total population, the 15-64 year age group (productive age) will reach 183.36 million people or 68.7 percent.1 This figure makes Indonesia one of the world’s most populous countries with a very large population of productive-age citizens.
On the other hand, this number also indicates that Indonesia is enjoying the so called ‘demographic dividend’, a time when the population of a country’s productive age is greater than its non-productive age. The Central Statistics Agency of Indonesia, Badan Pusat Statisik (BPS), predicts that Indonesia’s demographic bonus will last until the year 2036.2 By having this demographic dividend, this nation has a great opportunity to boost productivity growth.
However, despite the demographic bonus, there are various challenges that must be dealt with before productivity can increase. One of the main factors to manage is the quality of human resources, so that they are able to compete in the global labor market arena. Moreover, since the ASEAN Economic Community (MEA) was officially implemented in January 2016, Indonesian workers are required to be more skilled, both technically and in other areas, so as not to be left behind by foreign workers.3
Literacy rates are one of the important indicators in measuring the development of a population’s education; the higher the literacy skills of a nation, the higher the quality of human resources. The 2015-2016 BPS data shows that the literacy rate of Indonesia’s productive-age population reaches 99.67 percent.4 This means that Indonesia has achieved one of the main factors to meet the needs of developing quality human resources.
However, the journey of developing excellent human resources does not stop there. In addition to literacy, the productive-age population must also be equipped with skills that are relevant to market needs. Another important aspect is the development of human character. By investing in education that focuses on the formation of cognitive and affective skills from an early age, the young generation of Indonesia is expected to be able to welcome the 100th anniversary of Independence in 2045 with pride. The next question is, what efforts have been taken by the government, especially educational institutions and educators themselves, in responding to the new challenges of the education sector in order to optimise opportunities provided by the demographic dividend and MEA?
As one of the active contributors to the development of outstanding human resources through education in Indonesia, Mentari Group works according to its mission to equip and develop the young generation of Indonesia to be competent, possess good character, and be successful. Mentari Group is also committed to being a source of high-quality learning and training materials for all educational institutions, leaders of educational institutions, teachers, parents and students throughout Indonesia. The learning materials and training provided by Mentari Group are constantly updated based on the latest demands of the era by integrating the latest technology, resources, and the best talents from around the world.
The work of Mentari Group in the Indonesian education sector for almost two decades has resulted in a broad and diverse market reach as well a wide variety of products. The educational solutions and services provided by Mentari Group are now more complete through the presence of seven business units, namely Mentari Books, Mentari Bookstore, Mentari Assessment, ASTA Ilmu Publishing, Mentari Digital, Mentari Teachers Academy, and Mentaripedia. To attest to the consistency and commitement of its role in education, Mentari Group has now served more than 6,000 educational institutions throughout Indonesia.
Even so, this achievement does not make Mentari Group complacent. Realising Indonesia’s great opportunity to become one of the leading countries in Asia, especially considering the very high productive-age population, Mentari Group always encourages itself to continually innovate and increase its contribution to the education sector in Indonesia. Starting in 2019, Mentari Group introduced its new slogan: “Build Education, Develop the Nation”. This slogan represents the vision and mission of Mentari Group to be an active contributor in building excellent human resources in Indonesia through education and training.
Not just a slogan, “Build Education, Develop the Nation” is also a positive appeal from Mentari Group to all educators in Indonesia to actively participate in the efforts to develop an integrated infrastructure for education. As part of an extended dynamic discourse, Mentari Group believes that education is an integral part of the progress of a nation.
References:
- co.id with the title “Population of Indonesia 2019 Reaches 267 Million Souls” published on April 1, 2019
- com with the title “Indonesia’s Demographic Bonus Ends in 2036, Number of Elderly People Will Go Up” published on October 8, 2018
- co with the title “MEA Starts to Apply Today, What Are Indonesian Mainstay Products?” Published on January 4, 2016
- go.id with the title “Literacy Literacy Figures 15-24 Years 2015-2016”
