Giving Dropout Students a Second Chance through NakaTara
It goes without saying that education or learning is one of the keys to a successful future. It helps us shape our mindset, unlock more opportunities, gain knowledge, and turn them into something better. At Tokopedia, Nakama are also encouraged to continuously learn and explore new things with the spirit of #GrowthMindset.
The CEO of Tokopedia, William Tanuwijaya, always pictured Tokopedia as a university where everyone can learn like a student and share their knowledge with others like a teacher. William Tanuwijaya also once said that Tokopedia should not be known for its leaders only, but also its graduates or Nakama.
About a year ago, The Ministry of Education and Culture created the se-TARA program, a learning service innovation for citizens to provide equal education in Indonesia through digital classrooms that can be accessed anytime and anywhere. Furthermore, this program provides a learning space for citizens, especially those who have dropped out of school and originated from low-income families, to give them a chance to enter the workforce and contribute to the country.
Inspired by this program, the Customer Excellence team at Tokopedia also joins in to provide a special training program and opportunities for dropouts to become part of Tokopedia. For our own version of the program, we call it NakaTara, a combination of the word Nakama and se-TARA. “NakaTara”. Sounds cool, right?
New Program, New Hope: NakaTara
NakaTara aims to provide opportunities for those who have to drop out of school to continue pursuing their dreams. We bring new hope for them to improve their quality of life by adding experiences and insights upon joining the Tokopedia Care team as Customer-First Squad.
Rudy A. Dalimunthe, Senior Vice President of Customer Excellence Tokopedia said,
“Everyone has equal opportunity to become a better version of themselves. To further celebrate and encourage inclusivity in Tokopedia, we’re introducing our NakaTara team as part of Tokopedia Care to unleash their potential, uplift their confidence, and deliver impact for Indonesia.”
As a Customer-First Squad, NakaTara helps to answer questions about transactions on Tokopedia. They answer questions according to the ticket assigned to them by the system. While making contributions in Tokopedia Care as CFS, NakaTara are still provided the time and opportunity to continue their education.
Tokopedia Helps Everyone Achieve Their Dream
The journey began when the Tokopedia Care Team partnered with institutions and organizations related to education to accommodate school dropouts. School dropouts from several areas are screened by conducting interview sessions to find those who are able to participate in the NakaTara program.
Candidates are chosen based on several criteria, which include having a #GrowthMindset, good manners, and having a high motivation and desire to learn. After candidates are selected, they will join an academy for 3 months to learn more about Tokopedia and Tokopedia Care. Upon completion of the course, they are officially onboarded as part of Nakama and work with the Tokopedia Care team.
Afton is one of NakaTara’s first batch joiners. In the past, Afton had to drop out of school because his education fee was reallocated for his dengue fever treatment. With his family’s financial instability, Afton had no choice but to prioritize his health and sacrifice his education. From that day on, Afton became the backbone of his family where he has faced many challenges to find a job as a school dropout.
If there’s a will, there’s a way! Now, Afton is part of the NakaTara program. Throughout his journey at Tokopedia Care, he brings his dream and will to get a better life for himself and his family. He said,
“I’m really glad that Tokopedia has this kind of program, because not many companies have it. Joining this program, I hope to become a valuable person for many people.”
More Second Chances
Tokopedia has a vision to build a Super Ecosystem where anyone can start and discover anything. By initiating this program and telling stories like Afton’s, Tokopedia Care team hopes to give more second chances for everyone.
We believe that this program can give an impact on society and allow the Tokopedia Care team to always provide the best service to all Tokopedia users as #SahabatTerbaikToppers.
