Alabuga Start: A Pathway for Indonesia’s Young People into the Tech Field

TRIBUNBATAM.id - According to open sources, unemployment rate among young people in Indonesia (aged 15 to 24) in 2024 is about 13.14 persen.

The situation with Indonesian university graduates is particularly alarming: reports indicate a significant mismatch between educational qualifications and opportunities in the labour market.

Young people are one of Indonesia's key resources, yet they frequently face a gap between their professional expectations and real opportunities of the labour market.

In other words, hundreds of thousands of young people who have completed higher education are unable to apply their skills. This creates a significant divide between education and work experience.

The solution to this problem is the Alabuga Start international employment programme offered by Russia's most effective Special Economic Zone Alabuga.

NEW FORMATS OF COOPERATION FOR INDONESIAN YOUTH

Young women from Indonesia traditionally seek to study and work in the USA, Australia, Singapore, South Korea, or the Middle East. However, these destinations often require significant financial investment or high academic results.

In this context, programmes that provide Indonesian youth with real job opportunities abroad are particularly relevant. Russia, with its powerful industrial potential and developing cooperation with Indonesia, is becoming one of the most promising destinations.
"Russia and Indonesia maintain dynamic and mutually beneficial relations. We consider Indonesia to be one of our key partners in Southeast Asia", noted Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation.

The Republic of Tatarstan has long been recognized as one of Russia's technological centres. It is home to Alabuga, Russia's most effective Special Economic Zone, which already hosts about 40 international companies. The resident factories produce everything: from automotive components to general-purpose hygiene products.

Moreover, the Alabuga SEZ is developing social infrastructure by building educational centres, hostel complexes for its employees, and more. That is why the company has a strong demand for personnel across diverse fields: from technical roles (e.g., production operators) to service sectors (e.g., catering). One of the solutions to the labour shortage problem became the Alabuga Start programme.

This international programme is designed for young women aged 18-22 who have graduated from school and are eager to explore technical professions. Its main goal is to give young women the opportunity to build a career from scratch, acquiring professional skills and international experience.

This programme is open to the girls who have completed at least basic secondary education (equivalent to Grade 9 in the Russian system). This age was chosen for a reason: participants are old enough to make decisions about their own lives, yet still flexible enough to quickly adapt to new environment, language, and profession.

According to the Alabuga SEZ representatives, the selection process takes place online: an application on the website, an interview with an HR specialist, a test on 100 Russian words (a list is provided on the website), and completing a business simulation. The next step is receiving an official job offer for employment in Russia. The company covers the ticket to Russia and medical insurance costs. Besides, employees have the opportunity to live in modern corporate hostels at a reduced rate.

Since the Alabuga Start programme is an officially recognized and government-supported employment initiative of the Russian Federation, 51 quotas have been allocated to Indonesian citizens under the quota of the Ministry of Labour. The programme also holds formal authorization from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation to hire foreign workers, along with supporting documents from the Federal Tax Service.

"I SAW THE ALABUGA ADVERTISEMENT — AND IT WAS A SURPRISE"