"The opportunity for students of vocational programs is a good opportunity to gain new experience as an intern in an industry in Europe," the ministry's director of vocational education academic, Benny Bandanadjaja, said here on Friday.
He expressed the hope that the internship program organized by Markija, a sociopreneurship active in the education sector, will continue benefiting students and industry partners.
He also highlighted the need to properly manage the internship program and adjust the program to the competency level expected from university students.
"We also hope that they will be treated fairly as an intern and receive appropriate recognition for contributions made during their internship period. In principle, mutual benefit between the two sides must be ensured," Bandanadjaja noted.
Meanwhile, Markija chairperson Heru Dewanto said that the internship program in Europe aims to help Indonesian students gain professional knowledge and international-level skills.
Selected participants will join the internship program for two years in Europe and receive European-standard remuneration and facilities free of charge, he assured.
The internship program is also consistent with the ministry's Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program, hence, participating students will receive academic credits after their return to Indonesia.
"The internship is not subsidized by the government, and this program will take place in other countries and target all polytechnics in Indonesia. At present, our target countries are Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Romania," Dewanto informed.
According to Markija president director Bence Schmatovic, requests from European industries for the internship program have continued to increase.
"We are working hard to match with new industries by focusing on internships in the engineering sector, but we are open to opportunities in other positions to allow more vocational students to participate in the program," Schmatovic said.
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Translator: Wuryanti P, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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