Gov’t allocates US$232 million for National Internship Program

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3 hours ago

Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian government has allocated Rp4.14 trillion (about US$232 million) for the second batch of the National Internship Program to help new university graduates gain work experience and improve their access to job opportunities.

“To support this program, the government has allocated Rp4.14 trillion (about US$232 million),” Deputy I for Strategy and Communication Systems of the Government Communications Agency of Indonesia (Bakom RI) Fahd Pahdepie said at a press conference here on Wednesday.

The second phase of the program began on August 10, 2026, with 46,160 participants from across Indonesia taking part in six-month internships at private companies, ministries and government institutions.

Pahdepie said the large number of participants demonstrated strong public interest, particularly among new graduates, in gaining work experience through the government program.

The selection process also showed the high demand for internship opportunities. A total of 732,483 applicants registered, of whom 244,982 were deemed eligible.

Of the eligible applicants, 226,719 prospective participants submitted more than 547,000 applications for various internship opportunities.

After national-level verification and selection, 46,160 participants were declared successful and appointed to the program, while 242 prospective participants were not selected because they failed to meet the requirements during final verification.

“The high number of applicants in Batch 1 demonstrates the significant need among young graduates to gain work experience, improve their competencies, and demonstrate their abilities professionally,” Pahdepie said.

“Therefore, the National Internship Program should not stop at placing participants, but should be a real bridge to better jobs and careers,” he added.

In Batch 1, a total of 3,672 organizers participated, comprising 1,830 companies and 1,842 ministries and government institutions.

The organizers offered 28,455 internship positions with a total quota of 54,304 participants, comprising 31,251 positions at companies and 23,053 at ministries and government institutions.

The program’s success was also reflected in its first phase, which involved 102,000 university graduates, with 95 percent successfully completing their internships.

Pahdepie said 66 percent of participants experienced significant improvements in their competencies, including communication, technical and teamwork skills.

In addition, 26 percent of interns received job offers after completing the program.