STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: MANAGING LABOR RISK AND SUSTAINABILITY DEVELOPMENT THROUGH DIGITAL COMPETENCY CERTIFICATION

Human resource development in the mining industry must advance past conventional learning methods because the world faces geopolitical instability and technological progress, also sustainability challenges. This article investigates digital based competency certification as an essential strategic policy instrument to minimize work risks while promoting sustainability understanding among operators heavy equipment and managing operator heavy equipment inequality in the Indonesian coal mining industry. The research used SmartPLS 4.1.0.9 to analyze 314 operators heavy equipment from mining contractor companies and examined knowledge, skills, attitudes, and other research on certification success and sustainability outcomes. The research shows that attitudes drive knowledge and skill development yet they do not directly affect the achievement of digital based competency certification. The relationship between attitude and digital based competency certification depends on knowledge and skills which act as complete mediators. Knowledge and skills directly and indirectly boost sustainability awareness and digital based competency certification acts as a partial mediator in this process. These two factors work together to enhance sustainability awareness. Human resources strategies use digital based competency certification as both an assessment tool and innovative solution. Digital competency certification programs in workforce development support organizations to meet their Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) compliance targets and environmental responsibility goals. This is in line with the current ESG aspect, which is currently a very hot topic of discussion and is being monitored in various companies and organizations, governments of Republic of Indonesia, governments of Southeast Asia (ASEAN), and the world. The research demonstrates that digital certification functions as both a technical performance measure and a strategic instrument to build sustainable organizational culture through workforce development. The study results demonstrate that human resource development agendas and organizational sustainability strategies should integrate the digital certification programs as a fundamental requirement.