Jakarta, June 7 -- Indonesia's deputy higher education minister called on vocational universities and polytechnics to produce skilled workers and strengthen technological self-reliance as the country seeks to improve workforce quality.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Deputy Minister Fauzan said applied higher education must help address development challenges and prepare talent aligned with industry demand.

"Vocational institutions play a crucial role in producing skilled workers and innovations capable of meeting industry and societal needs," he said.

Fauzan said strengthening vocational education had become increasingly important as Indonesia seeks to improve workforce competitiveness.

Statistics Indonesia data showed the open unem...