Synergy to Strengthen National HR Strategic Steps Towards the CASE Era
Collaboration between Toyota Indonesia and Pertamina to Create Certified Expert HR in the Electrification Field
January 30, 2023 - The decarbonization process towards carbon neutrality (CN) target is intensively carried out in various parts of the world, including the Government of Indonesia and various supporting stakeholders. All parties are expected to contribute and actively participate in creating a greener earth. One of them is through the national automotive industry transformation with strategic steps to prepare Human Resources (HR). Indonesian human resources play a significant role as the foundation and driving force in welcoming the Connected-Autonomous-Sharing-Electric (CASE) era. This competent and globally competitive child's nation is an important element of CASE, namely mobility that is connected to the electrification future.
As part of the national industry, Toyota Indonesia and Pertamina have the same ideals and enthusiasm to support the Government in welcoming the electrification era in Indonesia. Having contributed more than 5 decades to the national automotive industry and the largest energy industry, Toyota Indonesia and Pertamina realize that positive collaboration and cooperation between the two parties is a priority strategy needed to strengthen the skills and escalate expertise of Indonesian human resources in the electrification technology field. Having a similarity in playing a greater role in Indonesian human resources development, Toyota Indonesia and Pertamina established positive cooperation through the Manufacturing Practice Development Program (MPDP). MPDP is a knowledge transfer and skills development program between the best human resources from Pertamina and TMMIN to participate in electrification technology competency-based training. Ten Pertamina officers with Senior SPV level underwent the MPDP program for a year, starting from September 2021 to August 2022. The MPDP participants obtained complete knowledge, including theory, practice, and on-the-job experience or field studies on the production line at the TMMIN factory to directly review the Toyota battery industry in Japan as a benchmark activity.
Responding to the electrification challenges in Indonesia, we realize that superior HR expertise escalation that is specific and certified is the main key, following ourprinciple "We Make People Before We Make Product." This step also follows Pertamina's "Energizing Your Life" spirit, which strives to realize clean energy sovereignty by involving active human resources participation in it. The synergy between Toyota Indonesia and Pertamina is a real contribution to realizing the national automotive industry roadmap and renewable energy roadmap. "Hopefully, the knowledge transfer activity that has been going on since 2011 until now between the two parties, can continue to be a media for accelerating local HR expertise with global competitiveness for new and renewable energy development," said Bob Azam, Director of External Relations at PT TMMIN.
Apart from visiting the Toyota battery industry in Japan, benchmark activities for other MPDP program participants included visiting Kyushu University to study hydrogen & fuel cell technology, and Kitakyushu Eco-Town to study renewable energy issues and recycling and vehicle scrap. MPDP participants also visited Toyota's head office in Japan, namely the Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) to discuss the safety factors and electrification development quality, especially the evaluation of battery components in xEV vehicles. The 3R activities (Reduce, Recycle and Reuse) and the production process of battery components were also studied by the participants during a visit to Toyota Chemical Engineering and PEVE (Primearth EV Energy). The electrification industry benchmark activity participated by all Pertamina and Toyota Indonesia participants in Japan was closed with a visit that is well received by the ambassadors of the Indonesian Embassy in Japan.
The Director of Human Resources of Pertamina, M. Erry Sugiharto, appreciated Toyota for this MPDP knowledge transfer program. He hopes this program can continue to the next stage, especially concerning the energy transition being promoted by Pertamina.
"Pertamina would like to express its gratitude and highest aspirations to the PT TMMIN management who are willing to provide space and time to receive ten Pertamina officers in carrying out the MPDP program or internally, we call this on-the-job development. We hope that this can continue to the following programs because Pertamina is learning to go into new businesses, namely EV Battery and New and Renewable Energy," said Erry.
Erry added that Pertamina is preparing to face the energy business transformation that leads to green energy. Therefore, this cooperation program with Toyota Indonesia is necessary for knowledge exchange. Moreover, Erry stated that the energy transition policy is of concern to the Indonesian government by setting a Net Zero Emission (NZE) target in 2060.
"Therefore, apart from rejuvenating existing infrastructure and investing in new assets, it is no less important to prepare talent as a business driver in organizational management that needs to be optimized, including changing the mindset culture, as well as strengthening skills and knowledge. For this reason, we realized from an early age that Pertamina needs support in carrying out the company's strategic initiatives," explained Erry.
"We hope this program can continue this year and the following year. Thus, this collaboration can continue helping Pertamina to face the challenges ahead," added Erry.
One of the MPDP program participants, Komang Arie, conveyed his impression and message, "On behalf of Pertamina's colleagues who have participated in the MPDP program, we would like to express our gratitude for the opportunity given through the collaboration with Toyota Indonesia. All stages of MPDP activities, including benchmark opportunities directly to various battery industry facilities in Japan are very relevant to NRE implementation in business activities directly. All the assistance, experience, and knowledge transfer during the MPDP period prepared us to build an EV battery ecosystem at Pertamina," said Komang Arie, one of the MPDP participants.**