Ministry of Manpower Proposes Increasing National Internship Quota to 150,000 Participants for 2026
Minister of Manpower Yassierli has proposed increasing the quota for the national internship programme to 150,000 participants for 2026 during a working meeting with the DPR RI’s Commission IX on Thursday (9/4/2026). The plan to open the fourth batch aims to expand access for recent graduates to improve their competencies before entering the professional workforce.
The proposal to increase the quota is driven by the high enthusiasm from applicants in previous periods and positive appreciation from organising companies. According to Berita Satu, the government is currently awaiting confirmation of budget allocation after submitting the proposal to the president.
“We see the extraordinary enthusiasm from participants and appreciation from companies; we have proposed the 2026 internship programme,” said Yassierli, the Minister of Manpower, as quoted on Monday (27/4/2026). The increase from the previous year’s 100,000 is expected to accommodate more university graduates.
Participation data shows significant growth throughout 2025, with a total of 102,696 people successfully passing selection in several waves. The programme offers a six-month work duration with pocket money in accordance with the minimum wage, social security, and mentor guidance for participants.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya added that the government’s focus for the 2026-2027 period is not only on quantity but also on improving the quality of participants’ skills. This responds to the disparity between the number of applicants reaching 400,000 people and the available internship positions.
Requirements for prospective participants include being Indonesian citizens (WNI) and graduates of Diploma or Bachelor’s degrees with a maximum graduation period of one year. Additionally, the originating educational institution must be officially registered with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology.
Companies wishing to participate as organisers must be registered on the SIAPKerja platform and have official business permits. Organisers are also required to provide official certificates and periodic programme monitoring reports to the Ministry of Manpower.
Although the opening of batch 4 has been confirmed, the exact online registration schedule through the Ministry of Manpower’s platform has not been officially released. The government urges prospective applicants to continue monitoring the latest information regarding the certainty of the selection opening date.