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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Economy & Trade

Indonesia Needs 5.3 Million Green Workers by 2029. These Are the Skills Required

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Indonesia is projected to need more than 5.3 million workers with green skills by 2029 as investment grows in renewable energy, circular production, energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies.
  • German diplomat Oliver Sperling said policy and technology will not ensure a successful green transition without skilled workers, calling for investment in vocational education and training.
  • Germany and Indonesia are developing programs in areas including hydrogen, solar-powered cold storage and vocational training for Indonesian students.

Indonesia will need more than 5.3 million green workers by 2029, and German diplomat Oliver Sperling says the country must invest in people if its green transition is to succeed.

“Policy can set the direction and technology can give us the tools. But the most important ingredient for success is talent. Commitment only produces results when we invest in people,” Sperling said at the Indonesia Green Jobs Conference 2026 in Jakarta.

Policy can set the direction and technology can give us the tools. But the most important ingredient for success is talent. Commitment only produces results when we invest in people.

— Oliver SperlingThe German diplomat said skilled workers are essential to Indonesia’s green economic transition.

Demand for workers with green skills is expected to grow alongside Indonesian investment in renewable energy, circular production, energy efficiency and low-carbon technology. Sperling said skills development should be treated as an investment that meets labor needs while supporting wider economic transformation. Germany has cooperated with Indonesia on vocational education and training for more than two decades, but he said that partnership must adapt as the green transition changes the labor market.

Investing in green skills is a direct investment in the future.

— Oliver SperlingHe described workforce training as necessary for meeting future demand for green jobs.

The effort, he added, cannot rest with the government alone. Businesses, industry, educational institutions, civil society, young people and the innovation sector all have a role in preparing workers for green industries. Examples of German-Indonesian cooperation include a partnership between a German company and a development finance institution to launch Indonesia’s first mobile hydrogen training program, which equips Indonesian technicians and engineers for work in the hydrogen sector.

Another example is a solar-powered cold-storage facility at IPB University in Bogor. German companies supplied the technology, but the system still requires trained technicians who can operate the cooling equipment efficiently. “Technology only works when skilled technicians are available,” Sperling said. Siemens also offers vocational high school students practical experience at its service center in Cilegon through cooperation with the German-Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, EKONID.

Technology only works when skilled technicians are available.

— Oliver SperlingHe cited the solar-powered cold-storage facility at IPB University as an example of the need for trained workers.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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