Bandung Tel-U – The importance of entrepreneur’s role in building economic independence in a society does not need to doubt. In the United States, as one of the developed countries, the level of adult population involved in new business has reached 13% in 2012. Unfortunately, the same optimism not happened in Indonesia. In 2013, the data from Ministry of Union and SME noted that the level of entrepreneurs in Indonesia reached 1.56% from total of population.
Indonesian government hopes the number of entrepreneurs in Indonesia will reach 2% by the end of 2014. This figure is far behind China (10%), Japan (8%), Singapore (7%), and even Malaysia (4%) as fellow developing countries. Unfortunately, the majority of high school graduates (61.88%) still prefer to be employees rather than become entrepreneurs. To be able to assist government programs, required the involvement of other elements of society – in addition to government and business community – one of which is academics.
Correlated with those phenomenon, the Lecturer from MBTI Program Telkom University held a community service through entrepreneurship training for community groups deemed most in need, one for children orphanage.
“This is our pilot project for children orphanage so that they can live independently after escaping from the orphanage foundation, and next time we will also foster another children orphanage” said Elvira Aziz, Chairman of the Entrepreneurship Skills Development Activity Children Orphanage Ar-Raudah DTA, on Sunday, January 18, 2015.
Children orphanage is required to achieve financial independence when they hit the age of 18 years (high school graduation). However, achieving financial independence is not a condition that can be created in a short time. The independence is grown from time to time.
Furthermore, this entrepreneurship training was designed with hope to rise the independent entrepreneurs and ready to compete in the era of MEA. Entrepreneurship training was held on Sunday, 18th and 25th January and closed on Sundays dated February 1, 2015.
This training not only to deliver the content, but also will continue to bring together trainees with investors who are interested to help prospective entrepreneurs. The MBTI Lecturers will continue to assist the prospective entrepreneurs from beginning and to run it. (MBTI / FEB / Tys)