Mastercard today launched Mastercard Academy 2.0, a flagship program designed to engage and impart essential digital knowledge and skills to different segments of the Indonesian population. The program aims to equip 100,000 Indonesians by 2022 – including schoolchildren, young adults, entrepreneurs and mid-career professionals, with the digital skills they need to thrive and actively participate in Indonesia’s digital transformation journey.

As a leading global payments technology company, Mastercard is cognizant of the immense potential digital transformation brings to the world’s economy and believes that the digital economy should work for everyone, everywhere – a sentiment strongly echoed by Indonesian President Joko Widodo who has identified the digital economy as central to Indonesia’s future.

Creating a new generation of the Indonesian workforce which possess high quality technology skills and can participate inclusively and equitably in the digital economy is a top priority for the Indonesian government. Today, Indonesia is facing a shortage of tech talent. This deficiency potentially limits the growth of the technology industry that has an estimated economic impact of $21.8 billion in unrealized output.  Moreover, by 2030 there will be a shortage of technology, media, and telecommunication (TMT) talent in the range of 600,000 – 1.2 million workers. As Indonesia grows and transforms, it is necessary to equip people with the right skill sets to be players and drivers of the country’s future digital economy.

Mastercard Academy 2.0 has been specially designed with sustainable human capital development at its heart. Mastercard is taking an all-in approach in responding to President Joko Widodo’s call-to-action for the private sector to invest alongside the government and bridge the skills gap. Mastercard brings decades of experience in technology skilling, bundling all these successes and learnings from around the globe to create the Mastercard Academy 2.0.

Mastercard believes collaboration can bring about exponential progress and will unite leading organizations such as the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth the YCAB Foundation, a local non-profit organization, and Infra Digital Foundation, a leading digital education institution, as anchor partners of Mastercard Academy 2.0. Their combined expertise will be aimed at equipping the people of Indonesia with the knowledge needed to move into digital life.

“The digital economic potential of Indonesia is huge, but it cannot be realized without the availability of knowledgeable and skilled human resources. Realizing the needs of a digital skilled workforce is vast, Kominfo has been very concerned from the beginning on this issue and developed collaboration with various parties in the Digital Talent program, Siber Creation, Digital Talent Scholarship and Digital Leadership Academy,” said Johnny G. Plate, Minister of Communication and Informatics, Indonesia.

“I really appreciate the contribution of all parties with their respective programs such as Mastercard Academy 2.0 and strongly believe that the Mastercard Academy 2.0 program is an essential program that will be very beneficial for the progress of the nation towards digitalization,” he added.

“Accelerating human capital development is key to creating equitable, inclusive and sustainable economies. Mastercard is committed to assisting leaders with our technology, data insights and partnerships to develop solutions that empower more people to participate in the formal economy and help workers navigate the changing nature of work. It takes everyone working together to ensure that the digital economy works for everyone, everywhere; to ensure that no one gets left behind,” said Mike Froman, Vice Chairman and President, Strategic Growth, Mastercard.

“The Indonesian government has made it widely known that in order to maximize the nation’s human capital, there must be a ‘whole-of-Indonesia approach’, where various sectors, ministries and agencies work together. Mastercard is responding to the Indonesian government’s call for partners to work alongside it and to create an equitable ecosystem where everyone has the tools they need to thrive,” said Safdar Khan, Division President, Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, Mastercard.

Mastercard Academy 2.0 Curricula

Consisting of four sub-programs spanning across different age segments, Mastercard Academy 2.0 enables people to obtain the skills and know-how to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

Girls4Tech – Mastercard’s signature STEM curriculum, designed for girls ages 8 to 14, is based on global science and math standards. The Girls4Tech curriculum showcases payments technology—algorithms, encryption, data analysis and the power of the Mastercard network. It is a hands-on, inquiry-based program that features fun activities in cryptology, digital convergence, big data fraud detection, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, and network engineering. Mastercard Academy 2.0 plans to bring the Girls4Tech curricula to Indonesia with YCAB Foundation, a non-profit organization, with the goal of training 60,000 girls across the country.

Cybersecurity Certification Program

A training, certification and job placement program designed to empower young Indonesians who are currently not enrolled in universities. As the digital economy expands, so will cybersecurity threats. Mastercard Academy 2.0 will help young adults attending SMK (Sekolah Menengah Kejuran) vocational schools to gain business-ready cybersecurity skills and help them find employment in this increasingly critical field.

Mastercard Academy 2.0 plans to work alongside Infra Digital Foundation and other global organizations that specialize in skills training and development. Under this collaboration, 6,000 young adults in Indonesia will be able to earn a tech certification and receive support with their tech job placements.

Cybersecurity Toolkit Program

A bespoke online resource designed for small and medium-sized businesses by Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) and Mastercard. Resourcing small businesses with tools to protect themselves from ever-evolving cyber risks not only strengthens their individual businesses but also supports the health of the entire commercial ecosystem, including governments and larger companies.

Mastercard Academy 2.0 will work to provide entrepreneurs throughout Indonesia with access to this globally-recognized toolkit, by creating linkages with chambers of commerce, associations, enterprise growth programs and the government to stimulate greater usage of this existing toolkit. With the toolkit program, an estimated 30,000 small business owners will be given the chance to learn more about cybersecurity and how to protect digital assets, including data.

Expert Speaker Series Program

For mid-career professionals, Mastercard Academy 2.0 is also looking to bring together digital experts, apprentices and enthusiasts to introduce innovations, spark curiosity and provide meaningful upskilling. Local and international speakers across private and public sectors will be invited to participate.

The program targets to enable 4,500 policymakers, mid-career professionals and university students to learn in-depth about industry innovations from around the globe.

To learn more about Mastercard Academy 2.0 and how local organizations are working with us, please visit: https://www.mastercard.co.id/id-id/governments/mastercardacademy02.html.