Formulate software house incentive plan
Policies Involved
Challenge
There is no tech bootcamp program shortage in Jakarta. However, these programs tend to focus on basic level skills and seldom equip students with practical working experience. As such, there is a huge pool of beginner-level fresh graduates but a very limited pool of highly-skilled tech talent. This creates a formidable challenge for startups seeking to hire specialized workers for niche positions in the face of budget or time constraints.
Current Policy
Most of the policies and programs concerned with tech talent shortage have largely focused on addressing the problem through education and training. For example, the Digital Talent Scholarship outlined in the Minister of Communications and Informatics Regulation No. 2 of 2021 on the Strategic Plan 2020-2024 was created to provide potential students from various educational backgrounds with scholarships to attend technology competency programs. Meanwhile, there has been little mention of support for software development outsourcing companies (also known as software houses), which can help startups execute temporary projects faster at an affordable cost.
Action
Handing off short-term and time-sensitive tech projects to software houses can help technology startups quickly access pipelines of a pre-vetted, skilled workforce. A policy that seeks to increase the quantity and quality of software houses can support them by providing tax breaks and easing the requirements and paperwork involved in setting up the corporation. Furthermore, providing incentives to software houses who hire and train technology competency program graduates can empower them to absorb and train fresh tech talent, and contribute to job creation in the technology sector.
