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Swiss Federal Councillor Witnesses Swisscontact’s Renewal of Commitment to Vocational Excellence in Indonesia

Indonesia
Initial vocational education and training, Labour market insertion
09.10.2025
More than fifty years after Swisscontact played a key role in establishing Indonesia’s first polytechnic, the organisation is proud to return to the roots of its collaboration with a renewed commitment to vocational excellence.

Swisscontact Indonesia entered the month of October as it welcomed His Excellency Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin, Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER), as a part of his week-long ministerial visit. 

During his visit to Bandung, West Java, H.E. Parmelin was the guest of honour and witnessed the signing of a landmark Partnership Agreement between Swisscontact and the Bandung Polytechnic of Manufacturing (POLMAN Bandung), reaffirming the dedication to strengthening Indonesia’s vocational education and training (VET) system. 

H. E. Guy Parmelin (left) witnessed the Partnership Agreement signing ceremony between Swisscontact (fourth to the right) and POLMAN Bandung (third to the right).
"Switzerland is proud to stand with Indonesia on this journey. Together, we are building not only skills, but also bridges between our countries and our people,"
said H.E. Parmelin, emphasising the spirit of collaboration between the two nations. 

Representing Swisscontact, Program Manager Daniel Weibel formalised the agreement with POLMAN Bandung’s Director, Darma Firmansyah Undayat. Mr. Undayat highlighted the enduring connection between POLMAN and Switzerland, stating, “Our connection to Switzerland remains a vital part of our identity. With the signing of the Swiss-supported programs today, we look forward to continuing to advance skills for Indonesia’s sustainable and competitive future.” 

Former POLMAN Bandung Director M. Nurdin (second to the left) showcased to H. E. Guy Parmelin (third to the left), and other Swiss and Indonesian dignitaries, various machines and other supporting facilities during the laboratory tour after the signing ceremony.

Swisscontact’s involvement in Indonesia dates back to the 1970s, when it supported the establishment of the Polyteknik Mekanik Swiss, now known as POLMAN Bandung. The vision was clear: to create a centre of excellence in applied engineering that would serve the needs of Indonesia’s growing economy. Over the decades, POLMAN Bandung has grown into one of the country’s leading polytechnics in industrial manufacturing, delivering highly skilled graduates and inspiring the creation of hundreds of similar institutions across the nation. 

This legacy reflects the power of long-term collaboration and the impact of Swiss values: precision, innovation, and quality, on Indonesia’s education system. The tour of POLMAN’s laboratories, which took place after the signing, showcased exactly that. Many original machines from the 1970s are still in operation today, and Swisscontact’s name is visibly acknowledged at the centre of the lab.

Representatives of Swiss and Indonesian delegates during the laboratory tour at POLMAN Bandung, a pioneering polytechnic in Indonesia.

Currently, Swisscontact continues to support Indonesia’s vocational transformation through the Swiss Skills for Competitiveness Initiative, which consists of the Skills for Competitiveness (S4C) and Sustainable Tourism Education Development (STED) projects. These projects aim to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesia’s private sector by improving workforce skills through a dual vocational education approach. The Swiss Skills for Competitiveness Initiative also fosters collaboration among schools, industries, and government stakeholders in key sectors such as manufacturing and tourism. 

H.E. Parmelin’s speech also notes how the private sector plays a central role in Switzerland’s vocational education, which is aligned with Swisscontact’s roots in private sector cooperation. 

In his opening remarks, H. E. Guy Parmelin also highlighted the important relationship between vocational education and the private sector.

Today, the cooperation between companies and VET institutions to align education with industry needs is key in building a resilient and future-ready workforce, one that supports Indonesia’s economic growth and industrial transformation. 

Looking ahead, Swisscontact remains dedicated to building a legacy of excellence by co-creating sustainable solutions that empower individuals, strengthen institutions, and foster inclusive development for the future generations. 

During the laboratory tour, H. E. Guy Parmelin also had the opportunity to interact with POLMAN students.

(All photos are courtesy of the Embassy of Switzerland in Indonesia)
2024 - 2027
Indonesia
Initial vocational education and training, Reskilling and upskilling
Swiss Skills for Competitiveness (SS4C)
SS4C is to strengthen the incentives and capacities of public and private dual vocational education and training (dVET) providers at the micro- and meso-level so that the skills of graduates match the needs of industry, thereby improving small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) productivity and contributing to more competitive SMEs in Indonesia competing on the global market. 
2018 - 2023
Indonesia
Initial vocational education and training, Reskilling and upskilling
Skills for Competitiveness (S4C)
Indonesia has charted impressive economic growth since overcoming the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. It has become the largest economy in the ASEAN community with a GDP per capita of USD 3’603 in 2016. Today, Indonesia is a key player on the global stage as the world’s 4th most populous nation, the world’s 10th largest economy and a member of the G-20. Poverty has been halved since 1999 to 10.9% in 2016 (World Bank, 2017). While this is good news in principle the poverty rate decline has slowed down since 2012: 28 million Indonesians still live below the poverty line today, while 40% of the total population are considered vulnerable of falling back into poverty with incomes only marginally above the poverty line.One of the major challenges the country faces today is the structure and dynamics of its labour market. On the one hand, the 1.7 million youth who enter the workforce each year outpace the growth in the number of jobs and result in a demand supply mismatch and people ending up in informal employment. On the other hand, technological progress: the complexity and nature of skills required on the labour market are not adequately matched with the qualifications and experiences obtainable through the national skills development system and result in a skills mismatch.