Empowering the Apprentice with Creative Work; Reach Out the Public with Digital Platform
By: Moehammad Amar Ma’ruf/A Career Diplomat-MoFA Republic of Indonesia/Alumni of School of Strategic and Global Studies-University of Indonesia
The Apprentice program has been quite popular in Indonesia State administrative activities. Many government institutions/ ministry or other private institutions give an access or opportunity to the Universities/ Vocational Institution Management to send their students undergoing apprenticeship. The program usually last for 3 weeks until 1 months.
The above program usually is made during the esteemed students prepare their final thesis or in its final year. Procedurally, the University Management officially directs their university students to get acquainted with working environment that related to their study by issuing assignment letter completed with their estemeed student performance record.
So far, the program of apprenticeship is also open and found at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia under existing procedure and regulation.
The Foreign Ministry Regulation No. 6 Year 2021 (Article 4 and 5) states that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has a task to organize government affairs in the foreign sector to assist the President in administering its government. In carrying out the duties the Ministry of Foreign Affairs does the following functions; a) formulation, determination and implementation of policies in the field of managing foreign policy; b) coordinating the implementation of foreign relations and foreign policy in the appropriate ministries/institutions with the provisions of statutory regulations; c) formulating, compiling and providing recommendations policy strategy in the field of relationship management foreign affairs and foreign policy; d) coordinating the implementation of tasks, coaching and giving administrative support to all elements of the organization within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Representatives Republic of Indonesia; e) management of existing state property/wealth responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Representatives Republic of Indonesia; f) supervision over the implementation of duties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs State and Representative of the Republic of Indonesia; g) implementation of substantive support to all organizational elements within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Country; and h. implementation of other functions assigned by the President.
Administratively, relating to Apprenticeship in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, their activities is coordinated by the Human Resources Bureau of the Ministry. This bureau will select and proceed any request received from the University/Institution Management and will convey to the Secretariat of each Directorate General that suit with the subject of the estemeed student. From this secretariat of directorate the student will be posted at suitable directorate/division. The participants will be given the special badge that should be returned after the period of apprentiship over.
According to my humble observation, most of the Apprentice participants show their interest in carrying the program. They are very curios to learn the Ministry tasks and express their willingness to propose to work at Ministry. Most of them want to be a diplomat. They are interested in observing international relations and diplomacy. They are eager to actualize and enriching their theory what they get from their campus with the real practice. They are called to participate in promoting the capacity of Indonesia to the world. It has become their inner passion to stand for the Indonesia interest in international arena.
The official in charge usually brief them on Ministry tasks and duties. One of the tasks of diplomacy beside protection of Indonesian citizen, negotiating and others is how to promote Indonesian best practices that may spread good name of Indonesia in bilateral and international fora.
Those best practices are varied ranging from promoting trade goods to cultural products, including Diplomacy on Archives and Literary that have been acknowledged by the world. Most of them are cross cutting program and activities that related to the role of other related ministry/institution.
During the year 2023, in the scope of Cultural and Social Affairs and Developing Countries International Organization under the Directorate General for Multilateral Affairs, at least, there are three events that being acknowledged nationally and internationally.
It should be kept in mind by public (national and international) that Indonesia has successful story on collaborated effort done by inter ministries and other stakeholders (multitrack effort), such as in enlisting Indonesian cultural asset as World Intangible Heritages; enlisting the history of Indonesia heroic diplomacy as Memory of the World; and in spreading Indonesian best practices and Expertise on Transformation Library for Colombo Plan Member countries.
In that regards, under the guidance the Ministry officers, the Apprentice participants who come from various Universities in Indonesia, invited to create promotion in digital platform. They are considered having having variant talent and capability. They have made a creative product in order to make public more aware about collaborated effort in making Indonesian Archives being acknowledged as Memory of the World 2023 by UNESCO, when Indonesia best practice on Indonesian Library Transformation Program Based on Social Inclusion being spread among the New Colombo Plan Members countries and, when Bahasa Indonesia enlisted and admitted as the Official Language of the United Nations (UN).
Here are listed belows the Links made by the Apprentice with their respective theme;
(For Indonesian Archives listed on Memory of the World 2023)
(for Transformation Library Program Based on Social Inclusion)
(Enlisting Bahasa Indonesia as the Official Language in the United Nations)
At last but not the least, their above product are very useful to be used as a tool for making program that have been achieved be remembered and seen by public. It is also hoped the participants always explore world general knowledge, international languages and develop their digital skill and knowledge.
May Allah azza wa Jalla give them a good path for their future. Aaamiin Ya Robbal Aaalamiin. (AK/RE1/P2)
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
