JAKARTA — Secretary General of the Ministry of Villages and Development of Disadvantaged Regions (Kemendes PDT), Taufik Madjid, received an audience with Japanese mobility and transportation firm, WILLER GROUP, at the Kemendes PDT Office, Jakarta, on Thursday (October 8, 2026). The meeting served as an exploratory platform for potential cooperation in rural human resource (HR) development through education, skills training, and career opportunities within the Japanese transportation industry, examining professional development programs introduced by the firm.

WILLER GROUP is a Japanese-based corporation operating in transportation and mobility services. Through its various business units, the company develops intercity transit, urban transportation, travel services, and mobility technologies across Japan and several Asian nations.

Among the programs introduced in the corporate presentation was the professional bus driver development initiative, termed Highway Pilot. This program is designed to equip candidates with driving expertise, transportation safety standards, Japanese language proficiency, and professional service excellence.

Under the presented scheme, WILLER GROUP opens opportunities for young Indonesian job seekers aged 18 to 33 with a minimum high school, vocational school, or equivalent education diploma (SMA/SMK). Candidates are required to hold a valid driver's license, maintain good health, and demonstrate strong motivation to undergo training and work in Japan.

The program encompasses Japanese language instruction, driving skills training, transportation safety education, and practical internships. The training phase is structured over approximately 10 months, executed in stages across Indonesia and Japan before participants enter the professional workforce.

According to company documents, participants are offered a nominal stipend of 200,000 yen per month during the training period. Meanwhile, upon transitioning into full-time roles as Highway Pilots, the company projects a nominal income range of 300,000 to 450,000 yen per month. These financial details represent preliminary program specifications from the company and remain subject to further detailed review.

Beyond opening overseas employment opportunities, WILLER GROUP introduced a sustainable career development model. Participants who acquire professional skills and international work experience in Japan are encouraged to return to Indonesia to contribute to local transportation services and productive economic ventures.

In its long-term strategic roadmap, the company introduced the concept of establishing PT WILLER EXPRESS Indonesia to serve as a platform for expanding domestic transport services while providing career opportunities for professionals returning from Japan.

For Kemendes PDT, this skill enhancement framework aligns with national efforts to expand capacity-building avenues for rural youth. International work experience can serve as a foundation for elevating technical competencies, workplace discipline, service management, and community entrepreneurship.

This initiative also creates avenues for leveraging acquired skills to boost local economies, including village transport networks, rural tourism, and supporting services for local community enterprises.

Exploring rural human resource development opportunities directly reflects President Prabowo Subianto's 6th Asta Cita, focusing on building from the villages and from the grassroots for economic equity and poverty eradication.

By reinforcing community capacity and expanding strategic partnership networks, Kemendes PDT aims to cultivate skilled, productive rural human resources capable of capitalizing on economic opportunities both domestically and internationally.

Text: Ofa

Photo: Wening