Kadin Views Increase in National Internship Quota as Expanding Job Opportunities
The Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) believes that the proposal to increase the National Internship Programme quota to 150,000 participants can broaden job opportunities for young and new entrants into the workforce. “Kadin welcomes and appreciates the government’s addition of the internship programme quota to 150,000 people,” said Vice Chairman of Kadin for Regional Autonomy, Sarman Simanjorang, when contacted in Jakarta on Thursday. “This is not only about creating temporary jobs and adding skills and competencies for participants, but most strategically, it maintains the resilience of public purchasing power,” he added. Public purchasing power, he continued, is supported by stipends for participants who are fresh graduates from equivalent higher education institutions at the level of the city/regency minimum wage (UMK). “Thus, graduates who have not found work for several years have the opportunity to join as internship participants,” said Sarman. He assessed that mechanisms for replacement should also be regulated if, during the programme, participants are accepted to work at a company. This is considering that many National Internship participants who are accepted for jobs subsequently withdraw. Based on data from the Ministry of Manpower (Kemnaker), 16,112 participants passed the selection process for the 2025 National Internship Phase I, consisting of 14,952 participants in Phase 1A and 1,160 in Phase 1B. However, the number of active participants decreased to 11,949 people, namely 11,110 participants in Phase 1A and 839 in Phase 1B. He hopes that through this programme, participants gain competencies and understand the working world from various aspects, making them more prepared to work after the National Internship is completed. “Therefore, the business world very much welcomes this quota increase amid the narrow job market due to the impact of global geopolitical pressures that are squeezing the private sector,” said Sarman.