Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia's Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor called for stronger vocational competencies and language proficiency to expand employment opportunities and improve workforce competitiveness.Noor said vocational training must continue to adapt to labor market needs, so that graduates acquire relevant competencies and remain competitive.”Going forward, language proficiency must be strengthened in vocational training. Demand for workers overseas is substantial, so participants must possess not only technical skills but also language abilities that meet labor market requirements,” he said in a statement received here in Jakarta on Monday.In addition to technical skills, language proficiency has become an important added value, particularly for participants seeking employment overseas.Noor mentioned many destination countries require foreign workers to meet minimum language proficiency standards before they can be employed.In Japan, for example, prospective workers are generally required to have at least Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) N4 certification, representing a basic to intermediate level of Japanese proficiency.He also urged job seekers interested in overseas employment to carefully choose licensed placement agencies and avoid questionable job offers.”Be careful when choosing a placement agency. The government continues to supervise agencies that violate regulations, including by revoking their operating licenses,” he said.The National Vocational Training programme is one of the government's initiatives to develop a job-ready, productive workforce that meets the needs of businesses and industries.The Ministry of Manpower is targeting 300,000 participants in vocational training programmes across Indonesia this year.Earlier, Indonesia's Minister of Manpower Yassierli said the government had allocated an additional Rp5.9 trillion (US$317 million) to strengthen the 2026 National Internship Programme (MagangHub) and vocational training to improve the competence and competitiveness of Indonesia's workforce.Of the additional funding, Rp4.2 trillion (US$225.9 million) was allocated to the National Internship Programme, while Rp1.7 trillion (US$91 million) was earmarked for vocational training.The ministry said vocational training would cover both conventional skills, including welding, automotive repair, air conditioning maintenance, and electronics, as well as technology-based programmes such as smart operations, smart farming, and smart building through its network of 42 training centers.The target is part of broader efforts to expand access to competency-based training while improving workforce readiness in line with business and industry demand.