The Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology is actively working to reform manpower quality through the groundbreaking Kampus Merdeka Certified Internship. Launched this year, this program allows undergraduate students to develop their skills through activities outside of their campus. Students can get real work experience in the professional industries for 1-3 semesters. Through this program, Indonesia is optimistic to have top fresh graduates by 2022 and here’s why.

About the Internship Program

Internship is barely a new concept. While the core principle of the Kampus Merdeka Certified Internship program is basically the same, its regulations and benefits are different. For example, internship is typically embedded in the curriculum so students have to do it before graduation.  The problem here is that these intern students are often unable to attend classes because they have to work, thus delaying graduation. As a solution to this, Kampus Merdeka Certified Internship compensates the time students use for internship by giving a total of 20 credits so they can graduate as soon as the program ends. 

Finding the right company for an internship is also a concern for students. For this, Kampus Merdeka Certified Internship program committee has curated a list of companies students can choose to have an internship in. This is to ensure that students are doing internships in reputable and credible companies. This year, there are around 300 companies from both state-owned and private enterprises, including startups, participating in the program. By the end of the internship, some companies even offer a chance for these students to continue working there as permanent or contract employees.

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Benefits for Companies

Companies providing internship opportunities can reap some benefits from the Kampus Merdeka program. Basically, companies can have more human resources while not spending as much budget compared to hiring permanent employees. Companies also have a better chance to source the best and finest talents through this internship program. Since students will be performing their internship for at least 6 months, companies can take a closer look at their aptitude and see whether these interns see fit to be employed after graduation. In other words, this will help organizations save hiring cost and time because they can always turn interns into new hires. Having these interns working for them for 6 months to 1 year can also save much time for training and onboarding if, later on, these interns are offered a position in the company.

Benefits for Students

It is obvious that students will have hands-on professional experience of working in an industry they desire. This experience gives them a better outlook at the type of employment available for them after graduation. Having an internship experience also gives their resume a boost, as a proof that they have practical skills. Other than having an opportunity to work in the company they have an internship in, students will be better prepared professionally if they decide to work at other organizations. Since they do not really have to worry about obtaining credits needed to graduate, they can focus on learning as much as they can throughout the internship program. They will also be compensated with fair allowance or salary during their internship program, although the exact number depends on each company’s policy. 

Kampus Merdeka Certified Internship Program is a breakthrough for education development that has some positive impacts for both students and companies in Indonesia. By the time the first batch of the program ends in early 2022, Indonesia is expected to have many top fresh graduates with actual experience. This will help recruiters narrow down their hiring process, especially for companies that become partners for this program and welcome student interns in. The opportunity for obtaining top talents of fresh graduates is not limited to Indonesian companies only; overseas companies can also aim to look for top talents in Indonesia by 2022.

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