Applications for the National Internship Program, organized under the coordination of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Human Resources Office, with the theme "We Are Mobilized for You," where public institutions and voluntary employers from the private sector come together, will commence on 22 February 2021.
The National Internship Program, which is under the responsibility of our Office and included in the "Employment and Working Life" section of the 2021 Presidential Annual Program, aims to ensure the widespread implementation of this initiative. The aim is to support equality of opportunity by utilizing transparent, traceable and innovative methods in accessing career opportunities for our young people who play a key role in Türkiye’s growth, empowerment, regional and global leadership.
Figures from Last Year's National Internship Program
During the successful pilot implementation of last year's National Internship Program, a total of 530 employers, including 168 public institutions and 362 private sector organizations, have participated. A total of 6,481 students from 251 different departments across 189 universities benefited from the internship opportunities provided by these employers. Moreover, these students participated from all seven regions and 81 provinces of Türkiye. These figures are significant in terms of the opportunity for equality, diversity, and transparency that the program offers to university students.
Public Institutions, Private Sector, SMEs, and New Start-ups are Mobilized for You
The National Internship Program, cited as an exemplary practice in the OECD’s 2020 report titled "Governance for Youth, Trust and Intergenerational Justice: Fit for All Generations?" for enhancing youth trust in public institutions, strengthening relationships, and attracting young talents to the public sector, will provide an opportunity for university students to gain work experience before they graduate. This opportunity will be supported by public institutions, private sector organizations, new start-ups, and SMEs. The National Internship Program will allow young students to engage closely with both the private sector and public institutions. Moreover, it will enable SMEs and new start-ups, which are the backbone of our economy, to connect with young talents.
Internship Offers for Students
In the National Internship Program, which provides equal opportunities to students from all universities across 81 provinces, public institutions and private sector organizations will offer internships based on a merit-based and transparent method, taking into account the competency scores composed of academic, social, and athletic achievements of the candidates, without viewing their personal information.
Applicants who evaluate the internship offers will be able to do internship in the institution or organization of their choice in line with the offers they receive, within the period of dates they mutually determine, until the end of the year.
Furthermore, students will be able to see their own Competency Scores and the Türkiye-wide Average Competency Scores of their respective departments within the system. As a result, feedback will be provided to young people, enabling them to understand their current position and areas for improvement compared to other students in the same department while they are still students.
Students' Legal Rights Will Be Protected and Youth Will Become the Decision-Makers
Significant paradigm shifts have been introduced in the National Internship Program with its the evaluation stages and internship processes. Through this program, young people become not being individuals who seek internships or await selection by institutions, but become talents who actively choose where they will do their internships.
The scope of internships, which are of great importance for the employment of university students, has been expanded within public and private sectors. The scope of the internship has been expanded to cover all departments and universities, rather than just being an opportunity for students studying at technical faculties or at well-known universities.
Another innovation introduced within the scope of this year’s National Internship Program is the inclusion of associate degree students. Thus, within the framework of equal opportunity, the career development of our associate degree students will be supported just as much as that of our undergraduate students.
The legal rights of our students will be protected according to the Vocational Education Law No. 3308; their insurance will be provided by their universities, and internship fees will be paid by the respective institutions. All of the processes will be monitored through the system.
We Are Mobilized for Our Youth
In this year, under the theme "We Are Mobilized for You," it is aimed to provide internship opportunities for more than 50,000 of young people and to support their career journeys. We are mobilized for, our future, our youth who are focused on education and who dream big for themselves and their country, and also who strive to excel in every field.
Respectfully announced to the public.