PRIORITISING JOB CREATION STRATEGIES THROUGH ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN INDONESIA'S MICRO WAQF BANKS

Micro waqf banks in Indonesia are crucial in financing and providing business support. However, guidance on fostering job creation through entrepreneurship among their customers remains limited. Amid the current global economic slowdown and rising threats of employment termination in Indonesia, this study aims to analyse the priority strategies that micro waqf banks can adopt to promote job creation through entrepreneurship. This research employs a qualitative case study approach. Data were collected through questionnaires and in-depth interviews with supervisors, managers, and customers of micro waqf banks in Banten Province, Indonesia, selected via purposive sampling from El Manahij, Lan Taburo, and An Nawawi banks. Data validity was ensured through source triangulation, and descriptive analysis was conducted using the Analytical Network Process (ANP) technique with the Super Decisions software. The findings indicate that job creation is a key priority for entrepreneurship development within micro waqf banks, encompassing business assistance, financing, and mentoring. The study highlights the importance of strengthening mentoring, financing, and entrepreneurship training to enhance and expand job creation efforts within the micro waqf bank ecosystem. This research reinforces the pivotal role of micro waqf banks in supporting small, micro, and medium enterprises (SMEs) through these strategies. Policy implications suggest that government support should enhance mentoring, financing, and entrepreneurship training policies for micro waqf banks to maximise job creation. The study’s limitation lies in its focus on Banten Province, and future research is recommended to test the effectiveness of these strategies in other regions and with different mentoring models.