Indonesia’s Industry Ministry said on Tuesday it will support the National Internship Program — a priority policy of President Prabowo Subianto — by providing facilitation, mentoring, and digital platforms to connect graduates with industry opportunities.
Industry Minister Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita said internships are key to preparing young workers for the workforce.
"Through internships, university graduates gain skills that match real industrial needs while learning to navigate modern work environments that demand discipline, productivity, and innovation,” Kartasasmita said in a statement in Jakarta.
He called for stronger coordination among the government, industry players and universities to ensure effective implementation, adding that wider industry participation would expand the skilled labor pool, streamline recruitment and strengthen the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.
Kartasasmita said internships should form a national movement involving all stakeholders to build a globally competitive young workforce. Investment in human capital through internships, he added, would help lift productivity, speed up industrialization and support higher-value economic output.
Industry Ministry Secretary-General Eko Cahyanto said the ministry’s support includes facilitation, mentoring, and a career-development platform that connects recent graduates with internship and job opportunities. He said the initiative aligns with Indonesia’s demographic momentum, with 69 percent of its population in the working age by 2025.
Cahyanto urged industrial companies to participate, noting that all internship costs are covered by the Manpower Ministry. Participants, he said, will gain hands-on experience and exposure to industrial work culture, safety standards, and innovation-driven production processes.
Head of the Industrial Human Resources Development Agency (BPSDMI) Doddy Rahadi said the ministry’s integrated vocational network — including polytechnics, industrial high schools, training centers, and standardization and industrial services units — will open internship placements across its institutions.
The Manpower Ministry has allocated 100,000 internship slots for graduates who completed their studies within the past year. The six-month program provides participants with a stipend equivalent to the local minimum wage at their internship location.
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Translator: Ahmad Muzdaffar Fauzan, Martha Herlinawati Simanju
Editor: Arie Novarina
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