“Up until now, internships have been conducted without proper oversight or data collection. We do not know the quality. Moving forward, we will regulate this,” he said during a meeting with Bosowa Group founder HM Aksa Mahmud here on Tuesday.
According to a press release issued by the ministry, the responsibility of managing internship placements abroad has so far lain with the Ministry of Manpower.
However, Karding said he has held discussions with the Manpower Minister to align efforts to regulate internships.
He made the statement in response to reports of several legal violations involving Indonesian nationals participating in internship programs in Japan, including cases of robbery against elderly citizens and theft at schools.
Karding noted that internships, which typically last two to three years, often mirror full-time employment and are sometimes exploited by companies in destination countries to obtain cheap labor without providing formal employment contracts.
“Internships and employment are different. Employment comes with clear contracts and better salaries. This is what we intend to regulate to prevent any hidden cheap labor schemes in destination countries,” he stressed.
However, he stated, the government has no intention of preventing Indonesians from participating in overseas internships. Rather, it is aiming to regulate the system to prevent abuse, he added.
One of the proposed solutions is to position an internship as a transitional pathway to formal employment.
“For instance, an internship could last one year, after that the individual becomes a full-time employee officially registered as a migrant worker. Or, they can return to Indonesia and work for the company that sent them,” he explained.
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Translator: Asri, Kenzu
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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