Deputy Minister of Manpower ‘criticizes’ students who chase only high GPAs: Competence comes first!
Deputy Minister of Manpower Afriansyah Noor urged students not to aim solely for a high grade point average (GPA) and a diploma, but also to acquire competencies and practical experience, ensuring they are ready to compete in the labor market and create jobs.
Afriansyah delivered this message during the opening of the Untidar Job Fair 4.0 & Disnaker Goes to Campus 2026—themed “Connecting Talent, Building the Future”—at Tidar University (Untidar) in Magelang, Central Java, on Friday, October 9, 2026.
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“To the students of Untidar, my advice is not to strive only for a high GPA and a diploma, but also for competencies and experience. Do not just look for work; develop skills to create jobs as well,” said Afriansyah.
According to Afriansyah, this collaboration demonstrates the government’s commitment to supporting job seekers right from the preparation stage.
“The government is no longer merely implementing the ‘link and match’ concept but is evolving it into ‘Connect to Grow,’ which integrates education, training, certification, and the labor market,” he stated.
He also encouraged students to take advantage of internship opportunities. According to Afriansyah, internships are not a dead end but rather a gateway to the professional world and an investment in the future.
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“On campus, you learn theory, but during an internship, you learn to apply it in practice while simultaneously developing discipline and teamwork skills,” he said.
Afriansyah also emphasized the importance of the Pentahelix mindset, in which government, academia, the business sector, the community, and the media collaborate to create a talent pool for Indonesia. ***rel
Wamenaker ‘Sentil’ Mahasiswa yang Cuma Kejar IPK: Kompetensi Nomor Satu!
Wakil Menteri Ketenagakerjaan (Wamenaker) Afriansyah Noor meminta mahasiswa tidak hanya mengejar Indeks Prestasi Kumulatif (IPK) dan ijazah, tetapi juga membangun kompetensi dan pengalaman nyata agar siap bersaing di dunia kerja maupun menciptakan lapangan kerja.
Pesan itu disampaikan Afriansyah saat membuka Untidar Job Fair 4.0 & Disnaker Goes to Campus 2026 bertema Bridging Talents, Building Futures di Universitas Tidar (Untidar), Magelang, Jawa Tengah, Jumat, 9 Oktober 2026.
“Kepada mahasiswa Untidar, saya berpesan jangan hanya mengejar IPK dan ijazah, tetapi kejarlah kompetensi dan pengalaman. Jangan pula sekadar mencari pekerjaan, tetapi bangunlah kemampuan untuk menciptakan lapangan kerja,” kata Afriansyah.
Menurut Afriansyah, kolaborasi ini menunjukkan komitmen negara mendampingi pencari kerja sejak masa persiapan.
“Pemerintah tak lagi sekadar menerapkan konsep link and match, tetapi mengembangkannya menjadi Connect to Grow yang menghubungkan pendidikan, pelatihan, sertifikasi, hingga pasar kerja secara terintegrasi,” ujarnya.
Ia juga mengajak mahasiswa memanfaatkan kesempatan magang. Bagi Afriansyah, magang bukan jalan buntu, melainkan pintu masuk menuju dunia kerja sekaligus investasi masa depan.
“Di kampus saudara belajar teori, namun di tempat magang saudara belajar menerapkannya menjadi hasil nyata, sekaligus melatih disiplin dan kerja sama tim,” tuturnya.
Afriansyah turut menekankan pentingnya semangat Pentahelix yang melibatkan pemerintah, akademisi, dunia usaha, masyarakat, dan media dalam membangun jalur penyiapan talenta Indonesia. ***rel
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