The Future of Railways Starts with Young Talent, KAI's Commitment to Building an Adaptive Workforce

Every train that arrives safely at its destination, every digital transaction made through Access by KAI, and every inspection of railway infrastructure and rolling stock before a train departs is made possible by one essential element: the skills and dedication of KAI employees working behind the scenes.

From technical expertise and precision to communication, creativity, and collaboration, these competencies form the foundation of KAI's commitment to delivering safe, reliable, modern, and customer-focused railway services.

This commitment aligns with World Youth Skills Day, observed annually on 15 July, which this year carries the theme "Skills for a Shared Future." The theme highlights the importance of equipping young people with digital capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) literacy, green economy competencies, and social-emotional skills to prepare them for the evolving world of work.

President Director of KAI, Bobby Rasyidin, said that rapid technological advancement, changing customer expectations, and the growing focus on sustainability continue to reshape the skill sets required across the railway industry.

Railways are an integrated system that connects people, technology, infrastructure, rolling stock, and services. Therefore, every employee must continuously develop their competencies, remain adaptive, and collaborate effectively while always prioritizing safety discipline.

KAI's commitment is supported by a workforce that continues to grow and evolve. As of June 2026, KAI's parent company employed 28,003 people, with approximately 73 percent, or 20,446 employees, between the ages of 18 and 40. This includes 6,684 employees aged 18–30 and 13,762 employees aged 31–40, demonstrating the significant contribution of young talent in driving the company's transformation.

Meanwhile, 4,736 employees are between 41 and 50 years old, while 2,821 employees are aged 51 and above. By gender, KAI's workforce consists of 26,432 men and 1,571 women.

These figures include permanent employees (PKWTT) and prospective employees of KAI's parent company, excluding employees of subsidiaries and affiliated companies, external employees, and fixed-term contract employees (PKWT).

According to Bobby, KAI's success is built not only on its younger workforce but also on strong intergenerational collaboration. Senior employees contribute invaluable operational experience and safety expertise, while younger employees bring digital capabilities, fresh perspectives, and innovative ideas that align with today's customer expectations.

Knowledge related to safety, operations, and customer service must be passed from one generation to the next. At the same time, the company provides opportunities for new ideas to be developed in a structured manner so they can deliver tangible benefits for both our services and society.

These competencies are required across virtually every aspect of KAI's business, including train operations, customer service, rolling stock and infrastructure maintenance, information technology, cybersecurity, data management, logistics, and various corporate support functions.

KAI's digital transformation has also encouraged employees to become more adaptive to technological developments and changing customer behavior. This transformation is reflected through innovations such as Access by KAI and the Face Recognition Boarding Gate system.

During the first half of 2026, the Face Recognition Boarding Gate was used by 5,555,034 long-distance train passengers. Besides making the boarding process faster and more convenient, the technology also helped reduce the use of approximately 13,888 rolls of boarding pass paper, generating an estimated efficiency of Rp203.80 million.

Sustainability has likewise become an integral part of employee competency development. KAI currently operates 113 Solar Power Plant (PLTS) units across 92 locations, with a combined installed capacity of 4,430.65 kilowatt-peak (kWp).

Since 1 July 2026, KAI has also gradually implemented the use of B50 biodiesel for its diesel-powered rolling stock, while ensuring fuel quality, fleet readiness, operational reliability, and safety standards remain fully maintained.

Bobby emphasized that the company's transformation is guided by the 3P principle—Profit, People, and Planet—as the foundation of sustainable business growth.

KAI's transformation is driven by a balance between Profit, People, and Planet. We must maintain strong business performance while creating value for society and contributing to environmental preservation. This principle underpins the way KAI conducts its business and operations sustainably.

According to him, future-ready skills extend beyond technological proficiency. They also include the ability to analyze and manage data, utilize energy efficiently, understand environmental impacts, and consistently uphold operational safety and service excellence.

This commitment to continuous learning is also reflected in the 2026 Railway Sports and Arts Week (Porseni Kereta Api 2026), currently being held in Yogyakarta.

Carrying the theme "Spirit Competition, Power of Sustainability," the event brings together 1,632 participants from 17 contingents across the KAI Group.

Participants compete in nine sporting events, including basketball, futsal, football, volleyball, table tennis, lawn tennis, badminton, chess, and the Mobile Legends e-sports tournament. The arts competition features performances in band and traditional dance categories.

Bobby explained that sports and arts activities provide valuable opportunities for employees to strengthen skills that are equally important in the workplace, including discipline, leadership, creativity, communication, decision-making, and teamwork.

Whether in sports competitions or artistic performances, participants learn to understand their roles, manage emotions, assess situations, and achieve shared goals. These values closely reflect the everyday responsibilities of railway employees in delivering quality services.

In line with the sustainability theme, all Porseni participants are encouraged to bring reusable tumblers and dining utensils to reduce single-use plastic waste. Participants also donate their retired white R6 uniforms, which will be recycled into new products through a circular economy initiative.

KAI's environmental commitment is further demonstrated through the planting of 25 productive trees at Balai Yasa Yogyakarta on 13 July 2026. Since 2022, the company has planted a cumulative total of 99,785 trees, including 4,540 trees planted throughout 2026.

Driven by skilled people, strong collaboration, and a culture of innovation, KAI Group served 258,993,359 customers during the first half of 2026, representing a 7.55 percent increase compared to 240,805,920 customers during the same period in 2025.

Over the same period, KAI also transported approximately 32.50 million tons of freight, supporting the distribution of energy commodities, industrial products, plantation goods, and national logistics.

Every employee contributes unique skills and responsibilities, which together form an integrated service system. Through continuous competency development and a collaborative working environment, KAI is preparing its people to uphold safety, drive innovation, create value for society, and ensure Indonesia's railway industry is ready to meet the challenges of the future.