Manpower Minister: National Apprenticeship Programme Develops Skills Needed by Industry

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Manpower Minister Yassierli said the National Apprenticeship Programme (MagangHub) provides recent university graduates with a platform to develop skills needed by businesses and industry.

“The programme is designed as a bridge so that young people are no longer held back by a lack of work experience when entering the labour market,” Yassierli said in a statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He said the National Apprenticeship Programme was one of the employment initiatives under the two-year administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice-President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

Launched in 2025, the programme gives university graduates the opportunity to gain six months of work experience to prepare them for entering the labour market.

It also targets graduates of professional education programmes and people with disabilities. The government set a quota of 100,000 participants for 2025 and 150,000 for 2026.

Yassierli said a lack of professional experience was often a challenge for university graduates applying for jobs.

“The government ensures that apprentices are properly mentored by company staff and do not replace existing workers in the workplace,” he said.

Over the six months, participants gain direct workplace experience at private companies, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and government agencies.

This gives participants the opportunity to learn about real-world work and hone technical and non-technical skills relevant to their placement.

To support participants during the programme, the government provides a monthly allowance equivalent to the regional minimum wage where the host company or institution is located.

Participants also receive Work Accident Insurance (JKK) and Death Insurance (JKM), mentoring, and the opportunity to obtain competency certification through the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).

“With real-world experience, adequate incentives and formal recognition of their skills, our young people will be much better prepared to achieve a more prosperous life,” Yassierli said.