South Sumatra Students Prepare for a Future Beyond Coal

For South Sumatra’s younger generation, the energy transition is not simply a debate about replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources.

More than 100 university students gathered in Palembang, South Sumatra, with questions about what their communities, careers and local economy could look like as Indonesia moves towards cleaner energy and the province gradually reduces its dependence on coal.

The students joined local government and academic representatives at Sriwijaya University on August 5 for Powering the Future: Challenges and Opportunities in the Era of Energy Transition, a workshop organised by the International Labour Organization and the university through the Innovation Regions for a Just Energy Transition project, known as IKI-JET.

For South Sumatra's younger generation, the energy transition is not simply a debate about replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources. It raises practical questions about where future jobs will come from, which skills employers will need and whether communities that have depended on coal can benefit from new industries rather than being left behind as the economy changes.

New industries could reduce South Sumatra's dependence on coal

Hari Wibawa, Head of Economic Affairs and Development Financing at the South Sumatra Regional Development Planning Agency, told students that the province is working to identify other industries capable of creating jobs and supporting economic growth as coal becomes less central to its future. The local government and ILO have established a Regional Consultation Forum where different groups can discuss how the energy transition will affect employment. A Skills Development Roadmap has also been created to prepare workers for economic changes, with plantations and tourism identified as priority sectors for diversification.

Agriculture could offer opportunities that connect economic development with environmental protection. M. Afif Khairi, a 22-year-old International Relations student at Sriwijaya University, pointed to South Sumatra's coffee industry as one area with room to grow, arguing that the province should avoid simply replacing coal with another extractive industry while overlooking sectors capable of supporting communities and protecting forests.

Women need access to new skills and opportunities

The discussion also focused on who gets to benefit from new industries. Nengyanti, a lecturer and gender expert at Sriwijaya University's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, told participants that women continue to face barriers to formal employment, training opportunities and new technologies. Those gaps could become more important as employers begin looking for different skills in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, tourism and other developing sectors. Giving women greater access to training and technology would allow more people to participate in the province's economic transformation rather than concentrating new opportunities among groups that already have stronger access to the labour market.

Students raised similar concerns about equality, inclusion and the experiences of other developing countries, showing that many young people are thinking about the social consequences of energy policy alongside its environmental benefits.

Young people encouraged to shape the transition themselves

ILO IKI-JET Project Coordinator in Indonesia Muce Mochtar urged students to see themselves as participants in South Sumatra's transformation rather than observers waiting for changes to reach them. He said a just energy transition involves preparing people for future employment as much as changing the sources used to generate energy, making awareness of emerging industries and skills particularly important for students who will soon enter the workforce. The workshop turned that message into a practical initiative through a new partnership between the ILO and university students, who will create social media content and articles explaining the just energy transition to their peers, families and communities.

The work forms part of the ILO Youth Network, which engages young Indonesians on employment and labour issues. Partnerships have already been developed with institutions including Sriwijaya University, Airlangga University, Gadjah Mada University, Esa Unggul University, Atma Jaya Catholic University and Diponegoro University, along with the Nationwide University Network in Indonesia. For South Sumatra's students, decisions about energy, skills and economic diversification will shape the labour market they enter. Their challenge is not simply preparing for a future beyond coal, but making sure they have a voice in deciding what replaces it and who gets to benefit.