Latif Ar-Rafi, a part-time courier for Lazada Logistics, goes to his business management class at Trisakti University every night with his Lazada delivery box still attached to his motorcycle. As one of the oldest students in the class, the 27-year-old has become affectionately known as “abang Lazada” – meaning “Lazada big brother” – by his younger peers.

“Working as a part-time courier with Lazada sparked my interest in eCommerce. It’s my dream to work for Lazada full-time and know more about the industry,” Ar-Rafi said.

Ar-Rafi was among 30 recipients of the inaugural Lazada Forward Scholarship in Indonesia, an ongoing initiative by Lazada Foundation to award scholarships and provide growth and advancement opportunities to talented young people across Southeast Asia. The scholarship provides funding to cover up to four semesters of university tuition fees for every recipient and also includes the opportunity to participate in a six-month internship program at Lazada. 

More than 3,000 applicants from various local and overseas universities applied for the program, and 20 of the top students were selected to receive scholarships. The successful candidates were selected based on their academic records, letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae and aptitude assessment test scores. Every applicant also had to submit a two-minute video about how they envisioned their future career in eCommerce. Scholarships were also awarded to 10 of Lazada’s couriers, sorters and other part-time workers, who were chosen based on their supervisors’ recommendations and their solutions to a business case.

Evelyn Yonathan, chief people officer at Lazada Indonesia, said: “At Lazada, it has been part of our core focus and commitment to build up the capacity and capability of Indonesia’s digital talent. We are pleased to introduce various meaningful initiatives and programs, such as the Lazada Forward Scholarship, to empower young talents to have a growth mindset while providing access to hands-on job education and training opportunities. Through these efforts, we hope that Indonesian talent will be better prepared and equipped when they enter the workforce.”

As an extension of the scholarship initiative, Lazada also worked with Indonesian TV channel Trans 7 to develop “AfterClass,” a four-episode boot camp reality show that was also aired on LazLive, Lazada’s livestreaming feature.

The program showcased the 20 students who had been selected for the scholarship and tasked them with tackling various challenges related to the eCommerce industry. Aside from being able to win additional funding for their education, at every round, the students were also guided by a panel of judges and mentors made up of Lazada employees, such as Chief Customer Officer Ferry Kusnowo, and representatives from well-known local companies as well as from the public sector.

Karina Permata Putri, a student from Gadjah Mada University and the leader of the team that scored highest on the show, said: “We are so happy to be offered the Lazada Forward Scholarship and for the opportunity to participate in the ‘AfterClass’ program. During the competition, not only did we get to test our technical skills but also trained our soft skills and received professional guidance from our mentors. We are so excited for more opportunities to know more about the digital commerce industry.”

Follow @lifeatlazada.id to learn more about life at Lazada Indonesia and to keep up to date with upcoming youth programs and initiatives.