Overseas internship protection must be priority: Deputy Minister

Bajawa, East Nusa Tenggara (ANTARA) - Deputy Manpower Minister Afriansyah Noor said the protection of participants in overseas internship programs must be a priority for all organizing partners.

"We are asking overseas apprenticeship organizers to make participant protection a priority, from the selection process until participants return to Indonesia," Noor said in a statement received here on Friday.

Noor said the success of overseas internships cannot be measured solely by the number of participants sent abroad. The quality of the process, participant protection, skills improvement, and benefits after returning to Indonesia are also important.

"Internships give Indonesia's younger generation the opportunity to gain international work experience, master technology, and build character and work discipline," Noor said.

He gave several directives, including that organizers must maintain quality standards from selection, training, and preparation to departure, mentoring during the program, and participants' return.

Participant protection also needs to be realized by preventing harmful practices, ensuring transparency in costs and information, and hence, providing an effective complaint mechanism.

In addition, Noor said participants' skills must also match the needs of the workforce.

"Internship programs must provide the skills that are genuinely needed by industry," Noor said.

He also stressed the importance of readiness within the overseas internship ecosystem, particularly in Japan, ahead of the transition from the Technical Intern Training Program to the Employment for Skill Development program (Ikusei Shuro).

According to him, the Indonesia Association of the Providers of Overseas Technical Internship Program (AP2LN) could serve as a government partner in supporting the implementation of overseas internships that are transparent, high-quality, and oriented toward participant development and protection.

"I believe that with strong collaboration between the government and all stakeholders, we can build an overseas internship system that is increasingly high-quality, safe, transparent, and sustainable," Noor said.

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Translator: Arnidhya, Kenzu
Editor: Primayanti
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