Minister Targets Nationwide Expansion for 2026 National Internship Program

RRI.CO.ID, Batam - Minister of Manpower Yassierli has announced that the National Internship Program (MagangHub) will expand in 2026 to reach every province in Indonesia, aiming to decentralize industrial training and career opportunities that have so far been concentrated on Java.

The announcement was made during a monitoring and evaluation session at PT Ecogreen Oleochemicals in Batam, Riau Islands, on Tuesday, February 24, 2026.

According to ministry data, most MagangHub participants and partner companies are currently based in Java.

Minister Yassierli said the 2026 strategy will focus on realistic mapping of each province’s leading sectors and industrial capacity. “From the MagangHub data, there is currently still a lot of accumulation of internships on the island of Java. We want this to be spread out so that it exists in every province,” he said in Batam, as quoted on the ministry’s official website.

To achieve this, regional administrations and local industries will be tasked with identifying their strengths and capacities. The ministry expects each province to have active partners and mentors ready to guide participants and to implement standardized learning plans to maintain quality as the program expands. “We are setting a realistic target map per province, based on leading sectors and regional industrial capacity, not just for the sake of equalizing numbers,” Minister Yassierli added.

Under MagangHub, participants choose their preferred companies, creating competition both among applicants and among companies seeking to attract talent.

Minister Yassierli praised PT Ecogreen Oleochemicals for providing structured learning, meals, and accommodation for interns, describing it as a model for bridging the gap between graduation and professional employment.

One participant, Radja Ghiffary Al Hakim, a Mechanical Engineering graduate from Syiah Kuala University, said the program had sharpened his skills and prepared him for professional work. “I feel lucky to be able to join this national internship program. My skills have been truly sharpened, and I am ready to jump into the professional world of work,” Radja said.

On the same day, Deputy Minister of Manpower, Afriansyah Noor, visited PT Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN) in Karawang, West Java. He urged the manufacturing sector to act as educational hubs rather than just production facilities. “Industry is no longer just a user of labor, but must become a laboratory for creating experts. TMMIN’s contribution to MagangHub is proof that real collaboration can bridge the gap between school theory and factory needs,” Afriansyah said at TMMIN Plant 1.

TMMIN trains about 250 people annually through vocational and internship programs. Afriansyah expressed hope that its training infrastructure could serve as a model for other manufacturers nationwide. “With this mature training infrastructure, TMMIN deserves to be a role model for other manufacturing companies. We want to see the training standards here imitated by other industries so that our workforce’s competence is equalized nationally,” Afriansyah concluded. ***