Monday, January 12, 2026
The National Internship Program is an early-stage career program carried out under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, with the support of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security and under the coordination of the Turkish Employment Agency (İŞKUR), in order to enable our young human resources to benefit from career opportunities provided by public institutions and private sector organizations. Through the Program, it is aimed to increase the employability of our youth, support equality of opportunity in access to career opportunities, and disseminate these opportunities across all university departments.
Students who apply to the National Internship Program are evaluated through a transparent and innovative method based on competency scores in academic/professional, artistic/social, and sports areas, taking into consideration their academic performance, activities aimed at improving their skills, and overall achievements. Employers convey their internship offers objectively on the basis of the scores received by applicant students in these competency areas (academic/professional, artistic/social, and sports), without seeing the identity and university information of the applicants.
In addition to its success domestically, the Program is also followed with appreciation abroad and is presented by the OECD as an exemplary practice. The Program provides many young people with the opportunity to experience working life while still students and to gain early-stage career awareness.
The National Internship Program offers students three main career development opportunities: internship, job shadowing, and training. An internship is practical professional work carried out within an institution or enterprise in order to develop the professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes of higher education students, to become familiar with the sector, and to ensure adaptation to working life. Job shadowing refers to a short-term, observation-based learning process that provides higher education students with the opportunity to gain direct knowledge and experience about a specific profession or field of work. Training is an organized learning activity prepared and delivered on specific topics by competent institutions in order to support students’ career development.
Under the age of 35 as of 01.01.2026 (born on 01.01.1991 or after this date),
A minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 2 out of 4 (or its equivalent in other systems),
Continuing education in Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC);
Eligible applicants include:
First- or second-year students of full-time associate degree programs
Second-, third-, or fourth-year students of full-time undergraduate programs (excluding medicine, teaching, and dentistry departments)
Students continuing their education at universities abroad (Turkish citizens or Blue Card holders);
Master’s and doctoral students may apply.
Applications for the National Internship Program will be submitted between 6 January and 16 March 2026 via ulusalstajprogrami.iskur.gov.tr.