Across Indonesia and Thailand, migrant workers are gaining vital skills in digital literacy and financial management through a series of practical micro-courses aimed at protecting them from online scams and fraud. Implemented under the ILO’s PROTECT project, the initiative trained 52 trainers and 140 migrant workers to strengthen financial awareness and cybersecurity skills in a region where remittances and online financial activities are increasingly common.
In Indonesia, nearly 140 participants joined a three-day programme in Cirebon, West Java — a major hub for migration. The event opened with a roundtable involving government agencies, service providers, and worker representatives to discuss strategies for tackling cyber threats. This was followed by training sessions for officials, trade unions, women’s crisis centres, and training institutions. These participants later shared their knowledge with migrant workers from nearby villages, fostering community-based learning and digital safety awareness.
Police General Raja Sinambela, Director of Cybersecurity at the Ministry of Migrant Workers Protection (KP2MI), emphasized that migrant workers are vital contributors to national development and deserve strong protection against cyber risks. Dwi Sulistiorini, Deputy Head of the Cirebon Manpower Office, praised the initiative for promoting digital resilience among vulnerable workers.
The training, developed through the ILO’s EU-funded PROTECT project in collaboration with SaverGlobal, introduced two new mobile learning modules via the free SaverLearning app: Financial Cybersecurity, which teaches secure money transfers and password protection, and Safe Surfing, which helps users avoid phishing and online scams. These tools address findings from the EU-funded study Mobile women and mobile phones, which revealed that while migrant women frequently use mobile apps for communication, they often lack adequate digital safety knowledge.
In Thailand, similar financial literacy courses were rolled out in partnership with World Vision Thailand Foundation and HomeNet. Through the SaverLearning platform, Myanmar migrant workers, Thai domestic workers, and community leaders accessed lessons on Smart Budgeting, helping them manage income and expenses effectively. A training-of-trainers model ensured that the lessons reached broader migrant communities.
These initiatives form part of the broader PROTECT project, Ensuring Decent Work and Reducing Vulnerabilities for Women and Children in the Context of Labour Migration in South-East Asia, funded by the European Union and implemented by the ILO in partnership with UN Women, UNODC, and UNICEF. The digital courses — freely available on the SaverLearning app — continue to enhance access to information, improve digital safety, and empower migrant workers and their families across the region.
