Political observer Hendri Satrio believes the 2026 National Internship program announced by Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya and Minister of Manpower Yassierli is an answer to one of the community's needs.
"This program is a good step because it addresses one of today's community needs, especially for new graduates who face the challenges of entering the workforce," Hensa said in a statement.
He assessed that the Cabinet Secretary and the Minister of Manpower had communicated the Internship Program effectively. He believed the two officials conveyed the government's understanding of the significant challenges facing our youth: graduating from college but not necessarily finding employment immediately.
"This is a good program, it must be acknowledged. Cabinet Secretary Teddy delivered it quite well, and so did Minister Yassierli. The message is that the government understands there's a major problem facing our youth: graduating from college doesn't necessarily mean going straight to work," he said.
The founder of the KedaiKOPI Survey Institute said that the communication between the Cabinet Secretary and Yassierli was quite clear, conveying things that the public really wanted to know, starting from the number of participants, the internship mechanism, and opportunities to enter the world of work.
According to Hensa, good delivery actually increases public expectations for the program.
However, Hensa suggested that the government ensure the sustainability of the national internship program. He also believes the government needs to ensure job opportunities for those participating in the program.
He also suggested that the government strengthen the involvement of the industrial world so that program participants have access to work experience and career opportunities.
It is known that the Government has prepared a budget of IDR 4.2 trillion for the 2026/Batch 2 National Internship Program which will begin its series in July.
Minister of Manpower Yassierli in a press conference in Jakarta, Monday (29/6) said that the quota of participants in the first period of the 2026 National Internship was 50 thousand people, with registration to be open on July 15-28.
"Registration for participants is something you've probably been waiting for, opening from July 15-28. So, there are still two weeks left said the Minister of Manpower.
Cabinet Secretary Teddy assessed that the National Internship Program could enable new university graduates to be directly absorbed into the professional workforce .
"This program also serves as a real bridge for students who have just graduated from college to be able to work directly and earn income," said Teddy.
He believes the government still has a lot of homework to do in the employment sector, particularly in ensuring that young workers can quickly enter the industrial world.
According to him, the National Internship program, which has been running since last year, is a directive from President Prabowo Subianto to address these challenges.
