The Role Of An Internship Programme In Strengthening Public Service Quality In A Professional Certification Body: A Single Qualitative Case Study

Maulana Anifa Silvia (Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya, Indonesia)
Much Iqbal Wahyudi (Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Indonesia)
Varinder Singh Rana (City University Ajman, United Arab Emirates)
Yusuf Hariyoko (Universitas 17 Agustus 1945 Surabaya, Indonesia)
Laila Rochmawati (Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya, Indonesia)
Didi Hariyanto (Politeknik Penerbangan Surabaya, Indonesia)

Journal of Public Transportation Community
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): Journal Public Transportation Community April 2026

This study examines how an internship programme contributes to public service quality within the Professional Certification Institute (Lembaga Sertifikasi Profesi/LSP) at an Indonesian vocational aviation polytechnic. A qualitative single-case design was used. Data available for analysis comprised semi-structured interviews with the LSP head, an administrative staff member, and three cadets who had experienced certification services, supported by observations and institutional documents. Thematic analysis was conducted deductively through the SERVQUAL dimensions and inductively for emergent themes. Findings indicate that interns contribute most visibly to documentation, archive digitization, routine data processing, and administrative handling that informants perceived as faster. Reliability is supported by standard operating procedures but is weakened at the entry stage by inconsistent perceptions of initial briefing adequacy. Assurance is protected through strict role boundaries that reserve assessment decisions for certified assessors. The findings reflect the perceptions of five informants in one unit and are not generalizable. The central management implication is a structured internship cycle combining induction, written task guidance, supervision, periodic review, and workflow planning.