The Future is Y(Ours): 250 Young People in Bali Ready to Enter the Workforce & Green Business

Bali, 27 September 2023 – 250 young people in Bali, including young women and people with disabilities, are ready to enter the digital workforce and continue with their green businesses. Ready to Work, a training program implemented by Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia), with the support from Citi Foundation, helped the readiness of these young people.

The Ready to Work program was launched in 2022 as part of a grant given by Citi Foundation (Rp 12 billion in total for 4 partners) through the CitiPeka initiative. The training program is also part of Citi’s Pathways to Progress, which focuses on global economic & social advancement.

Sintya (participant) in the Ready To Work Talkshow from Plan Indonesia and CITI Foundation

Puni Ayu Anjungsari, Country Head of Public Affairs, Citi Indonesia, stated, “As a global bank, Citi and the Citi Foundation are helping address this challenge by leveraging our business, our people and our philanthropy to support community empowerment and economic growth. We hope that through Ready to Work training program and business support, youth in Bali could continue to develop their business, especially provide a lasting impact on the environment and society.”

According to a study by the SMERU Institute (2020), about 73% of young Indonesians are interested in creating their own businesses. At the same time, there is an increase in the number of people entering the workforce in Bali, which is recorded at 27.3 million people (43,79 thousand more than the previous year) by the Bali Province BPS in February 2023.

Wahyu Sadewo (YEE Program Manager) in the Ready To Work talk show from Plan Indonesia and the CITI Foundation

Citi and Plan Indonesia implemented the Ready to Work program to help bridge this gap. Of 250 people trained in the program, 100 have created 70 new green entrepreneurship units. The new entrepreneurs ventured into various sustainable micro businesses, including waste management, virgin coconut oil, craft, coffee, and more products. These entrepreneurs have successfully incorporated green principles and utilised technology in their businesses.

“This implies that the Ready to Work participants are more ready to participate as business players in the circular economy. Thus, Plan Indonesia encourages stakeholders to continue supporting these young people to have equal access to enter and stay within the evercompetitive market,” Dini said.

Dini Arifah (Ready To Work Project Manager)

To conclude the program, an event titled “The Future is Y(Ours) was held on Wednesday (27/9). About 100 guests, including Ready to Work participants, Citi Indonesia representatives, government bodies, and implementing partners, attended this event.

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Media Contact:

Masajeng Rahmiasri

Programme Communications Specialist Plan Indonesia Ph: + 62 817 004 0274 | Email: [email protected]

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About Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia)

Plan International has been working in Indonesia since 1969 and officially registered as Yayasan Plan International Indonesia (Plan Indonesia) in 2017. Our vision is to strive for children’s rights and equality for girls. We also work with youth to ensure youth meaningful participation in decision-making that has impact to their lives. Plan Indonesia currently works in 8 provinces through seven thematic programmes, including Stunting Prevention, Elimination of Violence against Children and Youth, Adolescent Health, Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship (YEE), Resilient School, Gender-Responsive Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response, Youth-led Climate Resilience. In East Nusa Tenggara, Plan Indonesia runs child sponsorship program that currently assisting more than 36,000 marginalised children in the province.