KUALA LUMPUR - The government has confirmed that participants in the national internship programme will receive national social security (BPJS) Employment protection.

BPJS Employment Chief Pramudya Iriawan Buntoro said all interns in the programme will be registered under BPJS Employment.

The social protection scheme was arranged through cooperation between BPJS Employment and the Ministry of Manpower.

Interns will also receive monthly allowances equal to the regional minimum wage.

“We ensure that every intern in this programme also becomes a BPJS Employment participant,” he said.

The third batch of the national internship programme is open to graduates from December 2024 to November 2025 with a quota of 25,000 people.

Director-General Darmawansyah said the programme helps graduates gain valuable experience to improve their skills.

“In batch 3, we are targeting 25,000 interns. This batch is specifically open for university graduates from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025,” he added.

The programme offers 16,269 internship positions in ministries, agencies, and companies nationwide.

Graduates can choose roles that match their educational background and skills.

Interns will receive minimum-wage allowances paid directly to their bank accounts.

They will also be covered by Work Accident Insurance and Death Insurance funded by the government.

Each intern will be guided by a company mentor throughout the programme. They will also receive an official certificate to support future job applications.

BPJS Employment has not yet explained how the protection scheme will be funded.

It is still unclear whether contributions will be paid by the government, companies, or the interns.

The national internship programme is part of government efforts to reduce unemployment among fresh graduates.

Experts say more evaluation is needed to measure how many interns secure full-time jobs after completing the programme.