Bangkit: How Kalibrr Helped Google-Led Educational Initiative to Connect Indonesian Students with Tech Opportunities

It is no secret that Google remains as one of the most attractive companies to work for. However, its positive image is not only due to its competitive salary and inclusive working culture – which they are widely known for. Rather, the company focuses on offering extensive opportunities for personal and professional development, or “lifelong learning”, as Googlers call it, is uniquely Google’s commitment to its employees. These values have set an example for companies’ employer branding strategy world-wide. This never-ending spirit of learning and giving back is not exclusive to its employees, as Google is also committed to developing the aspiring students, professionals, and future leaders, including here in Indonesia.

In 2019, Google, along with Indonesia’s start-up companies like Gojek, Tokopedia, and Traveloka, opened up registration for Bangkit program, an employer branding initiative focusing on learning and development. Designed to equip its participants with industry skills and tech certifications, Bangkit offers soft skills and tech training that will be valuable for its students to take the leap from education to the workforce.

Kalibrr Developing the Future-Ready Skills

As the first of what is expected to be an annual program, Google turned to Kalibrr to help develop the curriculum and materials for Bangkit’s soft skill stream. Having experience in creating digestible yet comprehensive learning materials for Apple Academy and the Ministry of Communication and Informatics’ Digital Talent Scholarship Program, our first course of action is to ensure the future-proof soft skills that are highly sought after by the industry players. We have surveyed and interviewed HR professionals and direct users across industries and sizes to understand their perspective about the characteristics of digital talent they prioritize. Eventually, we’ve found 5 essential skills that are placed in high position, which include: Digital Branding, Time Management, Professional Communications, Adaptability, and Critical Thinking. Through the development of these 5 essential skills, we hope Bangkit can produce career-ready alumni who are ready to answer the challenges of every industry, both using hard-skills and soft-skills.

In order to strategize an effective learning process, Kalibrr wants to enhance the creative learning experience by combining pre-reading modules with audiovisual media. Maintaining high quality outputs, we created aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-digest modules, and detailed learning videos brought by the experts in each field. These tools help the students prepare themselves prior to the in-class sessions.

Experienced in event management for employer branding purposes, Kalibrr also helped Google in managing the in-class sessions. The cohorts were held in 4 cities in Indonesia: Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Denpasar. From managing the best quality trainers and briefing them before delivering the materials, to assisting the offline classes before pandemic. In the midst of several government regulations for social distancing due to the pandemic, Bangkit students still have a high enthusiasm for learning. Kalibrr provided online sessions in order to help them continue their soft-skill learning, closed with two fun boot-camp sessions to practice applying the skills in the real industry.

Lifelong Learning: An Employer Value Proposition Delivered Inside Out

From the successful management of the Google Bangkit Academy event, Kalibrr has managed to elevate Google’s employer brand not only from the Googlers’ point of view of lifelong learning commitment, but also to the students outside Google. They could experience the positive impact of Google’s employer value proposition in their life and career journey. As a partner, we could see that “lifelong learning” applied both internally and externally.

Hopefully, other companies can also follow in Google’s footsteps in bringing both positive and impactful value to the society through employer branding activities, because employer branding doesn’t just stop once you become the candidates’ “top of mind”, but it also a lifelong process to developed and retained within the right objectives, right strategy, and with the right partners.