Enviro News Asia, Jakarta — The Ministry of Industry is facilitating the availability of skilled and competent human resources (HR) in the industrial sector to boost the performance of the furniture industry, aiming to increase its contribution to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and expand its export market.
“Skilled HR in the furniture sector is one of the key elements in driving the performance of the domestic furniture industry. Moreover, the Ministry of Industry has the Furniture and Wood Processing Industry Polytechnic in Kendal, which actively produces competent HR in this field,” said Minister of Industry Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita in a written statement in Jakarta, Friday (April 4, 2025).
The Ministry recorded that the potential of the national furniture industry is reflected in its positive growth of 2.07%, contributing up to 51.81% to the non-oil and gas manufacturing industry GDP during the January–November 2024 period. In addition, the export value of Indonesian furniture products reached USD 1.47 billion, an increase of 0.7% compared to the same period in 2023.
To further boost the performance of the domestic furniture industry, the Ministry of Industry, through the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI), is actively collaborating with various stakeholders, including industrial companies, educational institutions, associations, and both domestic and international governments. This collaboration aims to produce competent HR tailored to current industry needs.
“Partnerships with stakeholders are crucial in enhancing the competence and competitiveness of industrial HR. We are initiating many collaborations with international partners to produce globally competitive industrial HR,” stated the Head of BPSDMI, Masrokhan.
One of the Ministry’s vocational education units, the Furniture and Wood Processing Industry Polytechnic (Polifurneka) in Kendal, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CAD+T Australasia Pty/Ltd and Pradita University regarding the enhancement of furniture industry HR skills at Polifurneka Kendal.
CAD+T Australasia Pty/Ltd is a Sydney-based company specializing in software for interior design and production business solutions, helping furniture manufacturing companies work efficiently and productively.
Masrokhan emphasized that this collaboration includes academic curriculum development based on Industry 4.0, enhancing lecturer competencies through internationally certified training, and providing software licenses for learning purposes.
Pradita University, as the organizer of Talent Camp Asia 2024—a training program for students, lecturers, academic staff, alumni, and industry professionals—will support Polifurneka in preparing its HR to participate in Talent Camp Asia 2025.
“This polytechnic has great potential to produce professional workers who can meet the needs of the national furniture industry,” said Head of Interior Design Study Program at Pradita University, Boyke Janus Anshory. Meanwhile, General Manager of CAD+T Australasia Pty/Ltd, William Dedella, expressed his commitment to supporting Polifurneka in strengthening the implementation of Industry 4.0 in student learning.
“We will help integrate our software into the academic curriculum over the next three years and provide opportunities for our experts to lecture at the polytechnic,” explained William.
Furthermore, Polifurneka Director Peni Shoffiyati stated that this strategic collaboration aims to enhance the skills of Polifurneka’s industrial HR in product design and the furniture industry based on Industry 4.0 technology.
“This collaboration is expected to bridge the gap between education and the furniture industry by providing a learning experience based on modern design and manufacturing technology,” she concluded. ***
