Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Human Resources Office, the "National Internship Program," initiated in 2020 with the voluntary participation of employers from both public institutions and the private sector under the theme "Mobilized for You," was expanded in its third year in alignment with Türkiye's employment policies and has been rebranded as the "National Internship Program."
The program, rooted in equal opportunity and prioritizing merit, will take applications for 2022 over kariyerkapisi.cbiko.gov.tr until March 31.
"Mobilization" Continues for Our Young People in the National Internship Program
The National Internship Program, initially piloted in 2020 and later expanded to all public institutions through its inclusion in the 2021 Presidential Annual Program, received over 135,000 applications in the same year, with more than 90,000 internship offers extended to applicants. Nearly 45,000 individuals, who were connected with their respective internship institutions, received their first wages from the government.
Recognized by the OECD as a best practice for two consecutive years, the National Internship Program enhances the employability of individuals critical to Türkiye's regional and global leadership while ensuring equitable access to internship opportunities. The Program was highlighted as an exemplary initiative in the OECD's "Governance for Youth, Trust, and Intergenerational Justice" report dated October 22, 2020, for its transparency, objectivity, accountability, innovative measurement and evaluation models, reliance on stakeholder interaction, and its broad provision of internship opportunities.
Additionally, the National Internship Program was highlighted in the OECD's policy document dated July 6, 2021, titled "What Have Countries Done to Support Young People in the COVID-19 Crisis?" as one of three projects presented under the section on "support measures implemented to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on labor markets and youth."
Türkiye's emphasis on talent management is reflected in the National Internship Program, which provides individuals with the opportunity to gain work experience before graduation, explore potential areas of success, and apply their theoretical knowledge and skills in practical settings, thereby supporting their professional and personal development.
As the Program's scope has been expanded in alignment with Türkiye's employment policies, it continues under the name "National Internship Program." The Program remains of significant interest to young people, with increasing participation from both public institutions and voluntary employers in the private sector.
Who Can Apply?
In addition to students pursuing associate, undergraduate, and graduate education in Türkiye, Turkish citizens and blue card holders who are continuing their undergraduate and graduate studies abroad are also eligible to apply for the Program.
Young applicants from abroad can receive internship offers not only from institutions and organizations in Türkiye but also from Turkish Embassies, Permanent Representations, Consulates General, and the overseas representations of public institutions.
The Program, which aims to extend the same opportunities to young individuals at various educational levels in the upcoming years, includes a significant new feature: this year, students from vocational and technical secondary education institutions within Organized Industrial Zones will also be eligible to apply. This initiative will not only facilitate access to the skilled workforce required by Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) but will also enhance the employability of students in vocational and technical secondary education by supporting their access to crucial internship opportunities.
The legal rights of all students commencing their internships will be fully protected, with insurance and internship wages provided in accordance with Article 25 of the Vocational Education Law No. 3308.
How to Apply?
Applications for the National Internship Program are managed through the national digital platform “Career Gate,” which is integrated with the e-Devlet system. Students in both Türkiye and abroad can submit their applications with just one click.
For the first time in an evaluation stage in Türkiye, students' academic/professional, artistic/social and sportive qualification scores are calculated using the information and documents they share during the application process. Since employers send internship offers based on the qualification scores, the information/documents that our young people will share during their application play an important role in accessing internship opportunities that match their skills and competencies.
Data such as cumulative grade point average, department, and foreign language scores can be directly transmitted via the e-Devlet platform, while any additional records not available through e-Devlet can be submitted by uploading the required documents to the system. The validation process for these documents, submitted via self-declaration, is conducted by university career centers and the relevant public authorities.
Objective Evaluation for Equal Opportunity
The National Internship Program evaluates students based on their lifelong performance, their commitment to enhancing their skills, and their overall achievements, instead of relying on exams that assess momentary performance. The calculated competency scores are added to each student's profile. These profiles are then included in the “applicant pool,” where employers can access them without seeing the candidates' identity or contact information. Additionally, the names of the universities where students study and their gender information are not included.
Employers present internship offers without seeing the personal information of the applicant, and thus, our young people become talents who “choose the institution where they will do their internship” by accepting the offers they want among the offers they receive rather than “waiting to be selected”.
Application Details
Students who wish to apply to the Program can follow the announcements and details through the official Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook accounts of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Human Resources Office and the National Internship Program (@tccbiko - @ulusalstajprg), as well as the official websites (cbiko.gov.tr - kariyerkapisi.cbiko.gov.tr). Respectfully announced to the public.