Byline: Garut, January 17, 2024

When a town known for sweet dodol becomes a hotspot for career seekers, you know something special is brewing. In late 2023, Garut’s local government teamed up with JobStreet Express—part of JobStreet by SEEK—to throw open the doors to opportunities, and thousands walked right in.

A job fair with real pull

At the Gentra Karya Job Fair 4.0 2023, more than 2,700 participants packed the venue to explore roles across retail, finance, FMCG, hospitality, and more. Local leaders, including Regent Rudy Gunawan and Deputy Regent Dr. Helmi Budiman, showed up to underscore a clear goal: help bring down unemployment in Garut, where around 104,000 residents were still looking for work.

Big-name employers rolled in, from Alfamart and Indomaret to Nabati, Ramayana, Bina Artha, Swapro, BTPN Syariah, FIF Group, Yogya Group, and Sehati—making the fair a one-stop shop for semi-skilled roles.

Why Garut, why now?

According to the Garut Regency Statistics Agency (BPS), the labor force reached about 1.39 million in August 2023, with 1.29 million people working—roughly a quarter (24.9%) in formal jobs. The Open Unemployment Rate dipped to 7.33%, down 0.27 percentage points from the year before. Momentum matters, and initiatives like these help keep it going.

Woon Hann Khoo, Head of JobStreet Express, put it simply: the mission is to expand beyond Indonesia’s biggest cities and become the most trusted partner for semi-skilled recruitment—while actively helping lower unemployment in regions like Garut.

Campus-to-career, too

Not stopping at one fair, JobStreet Express also supported the 2023 Universitas Garut Job Fair. More than 600 students and community members showed up, and 36 companies—from Biznet and Hotel Santika Garut to Wuling Motors, FIF Group, and Coway International—joined in. The event doubled as a bridge for academic and non-academic collaboration among government, private sector, and NGOs.

A growing employer network

JobStreet Express has been building a strong roster of hiring partners, including THE 101 Bandung Dago, Indomaret, PT Kurnia Otopart Group, Orang Tua Group, Adventure Travel Group, and TSVC Establishment (Sejiwa Coffee, Nonna Osteria, The Heartbreak Hotel Bandung), among others.

On the platform, job seekers will find a spread of semi-skilled roles—Admin Staff, Couriers, Store Crew, Warehouse Staff, Baristas, Cooks, Customer Service, Receptionists, Housekeeping, and more. Openings come in different formats, from full-time and part-time to daily worker, all accessible via the website and the JobStreet Express app.

#PastiDapatKerja, made practical

The promise is simple: make it easy, safe, and free to apply to lots of relevant jobs in one place. As of now, there are more than 15,000 active semi-skilled postings live across Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Bali, Cirebon, Lombok, Garut, and beyond. Employers can also post quickly via the dedicated portal.

Looking ahead to 2024, JobStreet Express plans to keep the collaboration engine humming—working with schools, government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector to widen pathways to work and help push Indonesia’s open unemployment rate toward the 5% target.

About JobStreet Express

Launched in October 2022, JobStreet Express is part of JobStreet by SEEK, focused on becoming Indonesia’s most trusted partner for semi-skilled recruitment. With tens of thousands of employer partners and more than 15,000 active job ads, the platform supports roles such as Admin, Courier, Store Crew, Warehouse Staff, Barista, Cook, Customer Service, Receptionist, Housekeeping, and more. Job seekers can access opportunities via the mobile app or website, while employers can easily post and manage listings through the employer portal.

Writer: Aditya Wardhana