SUSTAINABLE MARITIME HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY IN SUPPORTING THE BLUE ECONOMY IN INDONESIA

Abstract

The development of maritime human resources (HR) is a key factor in realizing a sustainable blue economy in Indonesia. However, there are fundamental gaps in the form of an educational curriculum that is not fully relevant to industry needs, limited access to ongoing training, and low ownership of international certifications among the maritime workforce. This study aims to analyze the actual conditions, main obstacles, and strategies for strengthening maritime HR competencies to increase national and global competitiveness. The research method used a quantitative descriptive survey of 128 respondents, consisting of sailors, cadets, maritime vocational education lecturers, industry practitioners, and regulators in Surabaya, Makassar, and Bitung, supplemented by in-depth interviews. The results showed that 72% of respondents considered the curriculum not yet in line with the demands of the blue economy, 64% stated that ongoing technical training was still limited, and only 38% had international certification. A SWOT analysis identified priority strategies, namely strengthening the blue competency-based curriculum, on-demand training according to industry needs, vocational-industry partnerships, and digitalization of the training and certification system. In conclusion, maritime human resource development requires an integrated approach between the government, educational institutions, and industry to create an adaptive, competent, and sustainable workforce, in line with Indonesia's vision as the world's maritime axis.