Indonesia, Oct. 2 -- Deputy Manpower Minister Afriansyah Noor said the protection of participants in overseas internship programs must be a priority for all organizing partners.

"We are asking overseas apprenticeship organizers to make participant protection a priority, from the selection process until participants return to Indonesia," Noor said in a statement received here on Friday.

Noor said the success of overseas internships cannot be measured solely by the number of participants sent abroad. The quality of the process, participant protection, skills improvement, and benefits after returning to Indonesia are also important.

"Internships give Indonesia's younger generation the opportunity to gain international work experience, mas...