Jakarta. Government has officially rolled out the second batch of the National Internship Program, placing 62,128 recent university graduates in ministries, state-owned enterprises, and private companies nationwide.

The initiative forms part of the 2025 Economic Policy Package 8+4+5 under President Prabowo Subianto’s direction to strengthen young Indonesians’ readiness for the labor market.

Manpower Minister Yassierli said the number of participants surged sharply from around 15,000 in the first batch.

“We have finalized roughly 62,000 participants for the second batch. This means we still have room to meet our 100,000 target,” Yassierli said at the program’s kick-off event at the Manpower Ministry on Wednesday. He stressed that the program is designed not only as a six-month work placement but also as a platform to build professional character.

“National Internship is a strategy to prepare Indonesian talent to be more job-ready,” he said, noting that the program aims to enhance work ethic, communication, teamwork, and industry-level adaptability.

According to the ministry’s Research and Development Agency head Anwar Sanusi, corporate interest in the program is strong. A total of 4,669 companies registered with proposed quotas for 42,000 interns.

“After the selection process, 62,754 were accepted and 62,128 have been officially verified as participants,” he said. Around 1,800 interns attended the launch event in person.

Chief of Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto confirmed that the government will cover interns’ monthly stipends through an assistance scheme equivalent to regional minimum wages.

“The government is co-investing to ensure our human capital is ready to compete in both national and global markets,” he said. Airlangga also encouraged companies to stay engaged in the program, noting the rigorous recruitment process behind the placements.

“Although companies are not obligated to continue hiring them, this six-month investment is substantial, especially given the strict selection process,” he said.

Batch I began in October 2025, while Batch III is scheduled to open in December. The government aims to enroll a total of 100,000 interns this year. The program targets fresh diploma and bachelor’s graduates within one year of graduation, supporting efforts to reduce the mismatch between industry needs and graduate skills as Indonesia enters its demographic bonus era.