Internships That Pay Off: From the Factory Floor to a Permanent Job

There was a different atmosphere on the production floor of PT Ecogreen Oleochemicals Batam some time ago. Among the roar of machines and the bustle of the palm kernel oil processing plant, 44 youths were busily carrying out their respective tasks. They were not yet permanent employees, at least not all of them. They are participants in the National Internship Hub Program, honing their skills, building their dreams, and proving themselves. But for 13 of them, that dream has already become reality.

Labour Minister Yassierli, who visited the internship site in Batam last Tuesday, was told the good news: thirteen of the 44 interns had been recruited as permanent workers by the company where they trained. “Alhamdulillah there are 44 interns here and 13 of them have already been employed here. This is a very good example,” he said with a broad smile.

This Batam story is an oasis in the barren fields of youth unemployment that fresh graduates frequently face. It shows that internships are not merely bureaucratic formalities or a substitute for cheap labour. More than that, internships have now become a golden bridge between the campus and the industry, where young people prove their capacity and companies discover the diamonds they have sought.

“For companies, finding candidates is not easy. So when interns have been here for six months, why would a company look elsewhere if they meet the specifications? Hiring someone new may not prove reliable, trial and error can be costly for the company,” Yassierli explained the philosophy behind the success.

The logic is simple yet profound. Six months is enough time to get to know each other. For companies, the internship period is the most authentic trial period, without risk and without recruitment costs. For the interns, six months is a golden opportunity to show they are worthy, that their certificate and theory can be translated into real performance.

PT Dirgantara Indonesia also experiences something similar. In Bandung, the nation’s proud aircraft manufacturer opened its doors to 134 interns for 2025. Comprised of 86 men and 48 women from diverse educational backgrounds, they were not merely spectators in the vast hangar. “They not only gain work experience, but also develop competencies, industry awareness, and professional character that will be vital when entering the job market,” said PTDI Production Director Dena Herdiana.

Siti Aminah, one of the Batam interns, confirmed this. Her eyes sparkled as she talked about her experiences. “The programme is very useful for training soft and hard skills for fresh graduates. It helps those of us with no prior experience to enter a company, so we are better prepared when seeking employment next,” she said.

But behind the sweet stories from Batam and Bandung, Minister Yassierli has a substantial homework to complete. He wants similar happiness for more young people in more places. His target for this year: the National Internship Programme to reach all provinces in Indonesia.

“This is our collective challenge. There are still many internships concentrated on Java Island. We want to spread it so that it exists in every province,” Yassierli said at another event in Jakarta.