Jakarta – The government is reopening the 2026 National Internship Program to expand job opportunities and improve the readiness of new graduates to enter the industrial world. Initiated by the Ministry of Manpower, registration for this program will begin on July 15, 2026, with a total quota of 150,000 participants.
Minister of Manpower Yassierli stated that this year’s National Internship Program quota has increased compared to the previous year. While the first batch had 100,000 participants, the government has now increased the quota to 150,000 with budget support of approximately IDR 4.2 trillion.
“We’ll start participant registration, which is something many are eagerly awaiting, on July 15th. So, there’s still about two weeks left,” Yassierli said.
He explained that the recruitment process was being conducted in stages to ensure its effectiveness. Registration was divided into three waves, each with a quota of 50,000 participants.
“On July 15th, we will open the first batch of registrations for a quota of 50,000 people. We will open the second batch of 50,000, and the third batch of 50,000 people shortly after,” he explained.
This program is aimed at recent diploma and bachelor’s degree graduates. Over six months, participants will gain hands-on work experience in a company while receiving guidance from professional mentors to strengthen their competencies and prepare them for the world of work.
Separately, Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya said the National Internship Program was a manifestation of the government’s concern for the high demand for jobs among university graduates.
“To that end, President Prabowo, through the Minister of Manpower and his team, established the National Internship Program. This is the second batch; it was implemented last year, and it will be implemented in 2025,” said Teddy.
In addition to work experience, participants also receive pocket money adjusted to the Regional Minimum Wage (UMR) at the company location where they are placed.
“Then they get a fairly significant income, ranging from Rp. 3.5 million to even Rp. 6 million per month, depending on where they work,” said Teddy.
Through the expansion of the National Internship Program, the government hopes that more new graduates will have better experience, skills, and competitiveness, thereby increasing opportunities for permanent employment, while simultaneously strengthening the quality of human resources to support national economic growth.