Jakarta (ANTARA) - One of the challenges to creating data scientists in Indonesia is low awareness among the younger generation on the importance of data science, the Communication and Informatics Ministry has said.



Hence, the ministry has started to educate youngsters to raise awareness on the importance of data science, ministry official Said Mirza Pahlevi informed during a panel discussion in South Tangerang on Saturday.



Through this effort, the younger generation will know that data science can bring major benefits in almost every field, he added.



More activities to introduce the importance of digital technology, data utilization, and their potential in the future to the younger generation are necessary.



This is because they will be the nation's successors who will need to meet the country's demand for digital talents, including by becoming data scientists.


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As a data scientist working in the government, Pahlevi said that Indonesians' enthusiasm is quite high when it comes to understanding data science.



This is evident from the fact that various data science-related trainings held by the ministry have always seen good participation. However, the participants still comprise professional workers and university students.



As of June 2022, the ministry has managed to draw 25 thousand participants to data science-related training programs.



To increase the number of people interested in data science in the country, the ministry has started to reach out to the alpha generation, which is the most adept at technology and digitalization.


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Through special data science-related training, starting from students at the primary school level, the ministry is seeking to provide learning and understanding activities that are not only based on theory, but also practice.



This is expected to get more talents interested in becoming data scientists.



The ministry has collaborated with private parties to initiate the Data Science for Kids program that is targeting to help alpha digital talents studying in grades 4 through 6 to learn about and understand data science.