All people deserve the opportunity to earn an income to support themselves and their families. Through the Kunci initiative, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with the Government of Indonesia and the private sector to equip 200,000 poor and vulnerable youth aged 18-34 with the skills and resources needed to compete in Indonesia’s job market. With support from Kunci, more young people from five provinces will be able to reach their full potential and contribute to Indonesia’s economy. 

Having experienced remarkable democratic and economic transition over the last two decades, Indonesia is a growing regional and global player. But with over 40 percent of the population earning less than $2 a day, up to 65 million low-income and vulnerable young adults lack the skills necessary for employment. Improving opportunities for young adults and meeting the demands of growing local economies are among the country’s development priorities. 

As Indonesia continues to grow, access to improved training will help more young people unlock stable and healthy futures. 

KUNCI 

Kunci, meaning ‘key’ in Indonesian, is a suite of interlocking activities designed to create greater opportunity for young people while meeting the demands of Indonesia’s growing local economies. Its  holistic approach to workforce development advances quality training and learning for job-readiness and increased ownership among and connectivity between key players in workforce development. Each individual Kunci activity hones in on a specific challenge hindering inclusive workforce development; taken together, the initiatives form a working whole that seeks to: - Increase availability of modules on business motivation, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, soft, hard and life skills, complemented by coaching and mentoring package; - Help 200,000 youth access better job-readiness and life skills training; - Increase the availability of master trainers in higher education institutions and training providers; - Unlock broad-based support for inclusive workforce development; - Harmonize the skills needed by the private sector with the training available for the prospective labor market by strengthening partnerships between training providers and private companies; and - Strengthen local ownership by leveraging domestic funding to sustain Kunci best practices. 

OUTCOMES

In close collaboration, USAID partners and stakeholders designed a suite of activities for improving the opportunities available to poor and vulnerable youth. These activities are now underway in West Java, Central Java and East Java, where nearly half of Indonesia’s population lives:

• MITRA KUNCI Coordinates and provides technical assistance to all Kunci activities and increases youth leadership and participation. 
• YOUTHWIN THROUGH ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION (YEP) Improves work-readiness and economic decision making by equipping youth with critical thinking skills and the attitudes and behaviors needed to obtain and maintain employment, set goals and manage income wisely. 
• JADI PENGUSAHA MANDIRI (JAPRI) Addresses youth unemployment by cultivating entrepreneurs and facilitating improved training quality. 
• THE READY-TO-WORK ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (RWAP) Enhances the capacity and quality of training centers and links them together through the creation of Learning and Innovation Networks. 
• SINERGI Establishes a coordination model for stakeholder collaboration on matching poor and vulnerable youth to relevant job skills. 
• AYO INKLUSIF! Strengthens the capacity of young leaders and journalists to raise public awareness about inclusive workforce development issues and highlight best practices.
• EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYMENT-SAKU (EOE-SAKU) Improves youth access to employment information and comprehensive training through a library network. Equips youth with the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to enter and succeed in job-seeking or entrepreneurship.