From classrooms to careers: How AWS is building Indonesia’s AI-Ready Workforce

The Indonesian government has made digital talent central to its Indonesia Emas 2045 vision. In February 2026, the Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs, raised the national digital talent target to 12 million digital talents by 2030, underscoring the scale of Indonesia's ambition and the urgency of action. But according to the AWS-commissioned 'Unlocking Indonesia's AI Potential' 2025 study, 57% of Indonesian businesses say a lack of digital skills is the main barrier to expanding their use of AI, even as AI adoption itself surges, with 18 million Indonesian businesses already using it.

To close this gap, AWS is announcing two new initiatives in Indonesia: First, IndonesiapandAI, a free cloud and AI skills training program in Bahasa Indonesia that makes training accessible to Indonesians at every stage of learning. Second, the Mastering AI for Nation-Building (MAIN) program, a career accelerator that connects learners with training for cloud and AI skills and potential job placements.

IndonesiapandAI: Making AI skills accessible to every Indonesian

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IndonesiapandAI, a play on the Indonesian word pandai meaning smart, or clever, is AWS's national skilling program for Indonesia. Available from today and designed to democratize access to cloud and Generative AI (GenAI) learning, it is intended for all Indonesians aged 18 and above, regardless of where in Indonesia they live, their background, or prior technical experience.

The program offers two free, curated, self-paced learning paths on Cloud Essentials and ML & Gen AI on AWS in Bahasa Indonesia that can be accessed here. Qualifying Indonesian learners who complete the full course may be eligible to also take the relevant AWS certification exam at no cost, while supplies last (terms and conditions apply).

To scale faster, IndonesiapandAI also trains teachers as a force-multiplier. Working with Yayasan Sagasitas Indonesia, a cohort of 22 teachers across five schools from the Yayasan Pendidikan Kader Bangsa Indonesia (YPKBI) network completed an intensive, hands-on training in GenAI: SMA Al Hikmah Boarding School (Batu, East Java), MAN Insan Cendekia (South Tangerang, Banten), SMA Global Darussalam Academy (Sleman, Special Region of Yogyakarta), SMA Kemala Taruna Bhayangkara (Bogor Regency, West Java), and SMAN 1 Matauli Pandan (Central Tapanuli, North Sumatra).

These teachers took part in hands-on, instructor-led workshops where they learned how to build their own GenAI applications using PartyRock, an AWS GenAI site that enables educators to bring AI-empowered learning experiences to their groups for free. They will now bring their new skills back to their schools to help train fellow teachers, and expand AI literacy in a sustainable manner.

IndonesiapandAI was announced on 23 June in Jakarta, at an event organized by YPKBI and AWS, to recognize the results of the participating teachers and celebrate the program's launch.

Photo by AWS

"Before this program, AI felt out of reach for our classroom. The hands-on industry training and free, global-standard certification helped me understand real industry expectations. Building my own Generative AI application with PartyRock showed me we can prepare students with practical skills, not just theory. I’m truly grateful, and I’m excited to bring this into my lessons and help fellow teachers do the same. I hope this program can be scaled to many more teachers across Indonesia,” said Ahmad Purwanto, S.S., Gr, DPC and English Teacher at SMA Al Hikmah Boarding School, Batu Malang.

"We deeply appreciate our collaboration with AWS Indonesia through the IndonesiapandAI Program. This program demonstrates that when world-class technology and education come together, the results are remarkable," said Dirgayuza Setiawan, Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees at YPKBI. "Teachers from our five leading schools now not only understand Generative AI, but can also build their own AI projects and pursue the globally recognized AWS Certified AI Practitioner certification. This aligns with our vision to provide world-class education for students across Indonesia."

This teacher-led empowerment model aligns with the government's vision of building an inclusive AI ecosystem. Meutya Viada Hafid, Minister of Communication and Digital Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia and member of the YPKBI Supervisory Board said, "AI must serve as a tool for equal opportunity, not a source of new disparities. For this reason, building Indonesia's AI ecosystem must begin with strengthening our human capital. The collaboration between YPKBI and AWS through IndonesiapandAI proves that investing in a single teacher can deliver far greater impact for thousands of students. This ripple effect will accelerate the emergence of Indonesia's digital talent. The government is committed to ensuring that the benefits of AI technology are felt equitably across society. Every child, wherever they are, must have the same opportunity to learn, innovate, and participate in the digital economy of the future. This is how AI becomes an instrument for both economic growth and inclusive, sustainable social progress."

Introducing MAIN: From digital learning to workforce readiness

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MAIN is a free, five-month career accelerator program. It focuses on helping equip young adults in West Java with the practical, job-ready AI skills that can lead them to employment.

Developed by AWS in collaboration with Alkademi Foundation and the ITB Alumni Association, it is being delivered through Bandung Vocational Training and Productivity Center (BBPVP Bandung), a vocational training center under the Ministry of Manpower. The program supports the Ministry's efforts to transform vocational training centers into talent and innovation hubs.

MAIN serves two groups of adult learners:

• Vocational high school (SMK) alumni seeking AI literacy, computational thinking, and web development skills
• University students and recent graduates building advanced Generative AI engineering and autonomous agent capabilities

Training will be delivered through three progressive stages. First, self-paced learning modules and hybrid sessions provide flexible access to AI foundational content. Qualifying learners then advance to instructor-led technical training across basic and advanced tracks to accommodate different skill levels. Selected top performing learners will then have the opportunity to take part in the final intensive, project-based bootcamp phase. These top performers may then be eligible to earn, at no cost, either the AWS AI Practitioner Certification, or a national certification issued by Indonesia's National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).

Participants will work with industry tools such as Amazon Bedrock and Kiro, learning to design and build intelligent systems for real-world applications throughout the program.

Building Indonesia's digital future, together

IndonesiapandAI builds on AWS's track record: AWS has trained over one million Indonesians in cloud skills since 2017. Together with ongoing initiatives like AWS re/Start, AWS Academy, Terampil di Awan, CendekiAwan, the Think Big Space, and Amazon Girls' Tech Day, IndonesiapandAI represents the next chapter in AWS's commitment to supporting Indonesia's digital workforce.

“AWS is committed to helping build the digital talent Indonesia needs for the AI era. IndonesiapandAI makes free cloud and AI training available to every Indonesian adult, while MAIN helps young adults gain job-ready skills that open doors to meaningful careers. Together, these programs reflect our belief that cloud and AI should be within everyone's reach, regardless of background. The future is being written now, and every Indonesian has a place in it. Take the first step today," said Yashinta Bahana, Head of APJ Market Expansion & Strategic Partnerships, Training & Certification, AWS.

Indonesians can sign up for free cloud and AI learning for IndonesiapandAI here, or the MAIN program here.