Efforts to foster a financially independent and entrepreneurial younger generation continue to be strengthened. Through the Prestasi Junior Indonesia (PJI) program, more than two million young people in the country have been equipped with financial literacy, work readiness, and strategies for building sustainable businesses since 2011.
Deputy Minister of Creative Economy, Irene Umar, emphasized the importance of this collaboration while attending the PJI summit in Jakarta. Referring to World Bank data, Irene explained that to transform into a developed country, Indonesia needs an entrepreneurship ratio of at least four percent of the total population, with an ideal target of 10 to 12 percent.
According to Irene, entrepreneurship is not just about establishing a business entity or seeking material gain. Beyond that, the entrepreneurial spirit encompasses forming a responsible character, having a high sense of ownership toward work, and a clear sense of purpose in every concrete action.
PJI, which is part of the global non-profit network JA Worldwide, applies experiential learning methods. In this year's competition, nine of the best teams from high school/vocational school (SMA/SMK) levels were selected from a total of 45 participants. Two of these teams were chosen to represent Indonesia in the Asia-Pacific entrepreneurship competition.
One of their flagship initiatives is the Student Company program, where students are taught to manage miniature companies firsthand. Chairman of the Executive Board of PJI, Pribadi Setiyanto, explained that the participants are mentored directly by professional business practitioners to design products, manage finances, and face real market dynamics.
During two decades of operation in Indonesia, this applied program has reached more than 18,000 students and spawned at least 845 student startups. For the 2025–2026 period, product development focus is directed at four main pillars: the circular economy, healthy lifestyles, climate change mitigation, and utilizing local potential.
