National Internship Programme Assessed to Reduce Skills Gap

The Indonesian Employers’ Association (Apindo) supports the Manpower Ministry’s plan to open the second phase of the National Internship Programme in mid-July 2026. The programme, which targets 150,000 participants with a budget of Rp 4.2 trillion, is considered capable of narrowing the competency gap with the needs of the business world.

According to Apindo Chairwoman Shinta Kamdani, the internship programme helps companies acquire talent that matches industry requirements. “We see the internship programme as one solution to narrow the competency gap between graduates and the needs of the working world,” she said via written message on Friday, 3 July 2026.

Shinta stated that the need for workers in companies actually still exists. However, global economic uncertainty and various domestic structural challenges have made businesses more cautious about recruiting new employees. She said companies are currently prioritising productivity, efficiency, and technological transformation, thus requiring workers with appropriate competencies. Shinta assessed that the main employment challenge today is not merely the high number of job seekers, but rather the still-wide skills mismatch between graduates and industry needs.

“Based on an Apindo survey, only about 27 per cent of businesses stated they were satisfied with the quality of the currently available workforce. This shows there is still considerable room to improve the quality of human resources to be more relevant to industry needs,” she said.

Shinta continued that the gap encompasses technical abilities, work skills, communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, adapting to technological developments, digital literacy, discipline, and a willingness to continue learning. “In this context, the internship programme becomes a means for companies to build a talent pipeline while assessing the competence, character, adaptability, and suitability of prospective workers before they are hired as permanent employees,” she said.