In 2024, the total number of Millennials will grow to approximately 174,79 million people. However, at the same time, economic progress has no significant result. If the youth work productively, it will get the demographic bonus. Otherwise, if the young generation is unemployed, it will be a disaster.
As seen in this phenomenon, Muhammadiyah Diktilitbang Council held a Webinar themed “Creating the Young Entrepreneur and the Campus-based Excellent Cooperatives” online, Saturday (04/09). Presented as a speaker, Drs. Teten Masduki as the Minister of Cooperatives and Micro Small and Medium Enterprise of the Republic of Indonesia and Ahmad Jabadi as the representative of Echelon I officials, Drs. Suyatmin, M.Si. as Head of UMS Cooperative, and Riza Azyumarridha Azra as the founder of Rumah Mocaf Indonesia.
Muchlas Rowi as the moderator, mentioned that honest effort is needed to create economic progress from the productive generation. “Indonesia provides 7% or approximately 8 million of entrepreneurs to get the great demographic bonus,” he said.
Teten Masduki, as the Minister of Cooperatives and MSME argued the same thing when Indonesia’s entrepreneur ratio was not optimal yet counted for 3,47% under Singapore ratio, which reached 8,36% and Malaysia and Thailand had above 4%. “In 2024, we have a target to reach 4% because it is one requirement as a developed country,” he said.
The other challenge was that 82,55% of the MSME had no qualified entrepreneurial culture and cooperatives. In Indonesia, there were 247 active student cooperatives. However, 73 cooperatives conducted The Annual Member Meeting (RAT). “So it is necessary to have four extensive transformation programs, including the transformation from informal to formal, digital and technology utilization, the change of the global value and the cooperatives modernization, “he added.
Ahmad Jabadi continued that the campus has a significant role as the laboratory for the growth of new young entrepreneurs from educated young people. “The importance of the excellent cooperatives to be the supporting factor hoped to be the competent human resources to create the modern cooperatives,” he said as the Deputy of Cooperatives. The criteria of modern cooperatives are to create three pillars, namely institutional pillar, business pillar, and financial pillar. The business orientation can be strengthened, especially in the food sector. It can be supported by the other resources which can encourage the cooperative and business management developed on campus. “It can create a cooperative as the role model on real sector development, especially in the food sector,” he said.
Drs. Suyatmin Waskito Adi also explained the campus cooperatives that can make the student entrepreneurship mentality and economic empowerment in the campus. The business potential in the campus cooperatives has a significant role in serving the members and non-members in the campus environment. “The implementation of the campus cooperatives has applied well cooperative governance (GCG) and the development of the campus cooperatives depends on the awareness and participation of its members,” he concluded.
The last presenter, Riza Azyumarridha Azra, explained the entrepreneurial culture in Indonesia placed in the 19th position of 20 nations on G-20. In 2025, Indonesia will be taken into account in the global market. “Therefore, the big question for us in facing the good market prospect is if we will be the market or the marketer in our nation?” he said. He gave the participants a message, at least the young entrepreneurs can contribute as marketers who participate in the local product marketing in our nation. “In the food sector, we can make food sovereignty in Indonesia,” he concluded.
