Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia is encouraging more young people to become entrepreneurs, as stronger entrepreneurship is essential to achieving advanced-economy status and building a sustainable creative economy ecosystem, Deputy Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar said.
Irene, who also serves as Deputy Head of the Creative Economy Agency, said World Bank estimates indicate Indonesia needs entrepreneurs to account for about 10 to 12 percent of its population, with at least 4 percent as a starting baseline for becoming a developed country.
She noted that Indonesia’s current entrepreneurship rate remains slightly below that threshold, underscoring the urgent need to cultivate entrepreneurial talent from an early age.
“Entrepreneurship is not just about owning a company. The entrepreneurial spirit is about having a sense of ownership, responsibility, and carrying out every task with a clear purpose,” Irene said in a statement received in Jakarta on Monday.
The Ministry of Creative Economy considers youth entrepreneurship a cornerstone of a sustainable creative economy and is actively supporting initiatives to develop talent early on.
One such initiative is Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI), which has equipped more than two million young people across Indonesia with workplace skills, financial literacy, and sustainable business development capabilities since 2011.
Chairman of the Executive Board of Prestasi Junior Indonesia Pribadi Setiyanto said PJI applies an experiential learning approach that gives participants direct, practical business experience.
He added that the organization also connects participants with business mentors and industry volunteers to ensure learning remains relevant to real-world workforce demands.
According to Pribadi, PJI’s flagship Student Company program allows senior high school and vocational high school students to establish and operate their own real-world micro-enterprises.
Participants learn product development, business modeling, leadership, financial management, customer engagement, and practical problem-solving while managing actual business operations.
“During its 20 years in Indonesia, the Student Company program has reached more than 18,000 students and created 845 student-run businesses. In 2025–2026, participants’ business ideas focus on the circular economy, healthy lifestyles, climate change, and local resources,” Pribadi said.
PJI is part of JA Worldwide, a global nonprofit organization specializing in entrepreneurship education.
This year’s competition featured 45 teams, with nine senior high school and vocational high school teams advancing to the national finals.
The top two teams will represent Indonesia at the Asia-Pacific entrepreneurship competition.
The ministry expects broader collaboration with stakeholders to help young innovators create jobs, commercialize Indonesian intellectual property, and develop globally competitive products.
Translator: Fitra Ashari, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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