Pengaruh Program Magang Nasional terhadap Employability Fresh Graduate melalui Pengembangan Soft Skill

Dewi Hudiyah (Fakultas Ekonomi dan Bisnis, Universitas Buana Perjuangan Karawang)
Istikomah (Fakultas Ilmu Sosial dan Ilmu Politik, Universitas Nurtanio)
Triyani (Fakultas Pascasarjana, Universitas Wanita Internasional)
I Ketut Sirna (Fakultas Bisnis dan Pariwisata, Universitas Dhyana Pura)

PARADUTA : Jurnal Ekonomi dan Ilmu-Ilmu Sosial
Vol 4 No 3 (2026): Oktober

This study aims to analyze the effect of the National Internship Program organized by the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower on the employability of fresh graduates, with soft skill development as a mediating variable. The study involved 25 participants from the first 2025 cohort who were placed in companies within the Karawang industrial area, selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through questionnaires and analyzed using correlation and descriptive analysis. The findings indicate that most respondents perceived the internship program as highly beneficial for developing soft skills, particularly communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. Soft skill development showed a strong positive correlation with employability (r = 0.76). The internship experience also expanded participants’ professional networks, helping some obtain job vacancy information. However, some respondents perceived the six-month duration as relatively lengthy because they still had to undergo the recruitment process after completing the program. These findings highlight a trade-off between competency development benefits and the efficiency of the transition from graduation to employment.