The Akademi Dalam Industri (ADI) programme at Sekolah Menengah Integrasi Teras Islam (SMITI) Tahfiz Tok Guru in Pasir Puteh is providing students with hands-on agricultural skills through a structured training platform. Now in its second year, the programme combines theoretical learning with practical training, including logbook preparation, skills assessments, and training based on industry requirements. According to SMITI Tahfiz Tok Guru principal Wan Abu Bakar Wan Mahussin, the ADI programme aims to help students obtain a skills certificate and provide them with practical experience and exposure that will benefit them when entering the workforce or pursuing further studies.
Wan Abu Bakar noted that students who participate in the programme gain valuable experience and basic skills, which they may not appreciate immediately but will find useful in the future. The programme is open to students aged 16 and above on a voluntary basis, subject to their interest and parental consent. Training sessions are held after school hours and at weekends to avoid disrupting their studies.
Several teachers have been appointed as coaches or trainers to supervise the participants, and the programme focuses on agriculture due to the availability of about eight acres of land at the school. Through the training, participants are exposed to the entire agricultural process, from land preparation and seed sowing to planting, crop care, harvesting, and compost production. The programme is more about practical learning, with the goal of allowing students to experience how farmers earn from the crops they grow.
Meanwhile, Huffaz Agrofarm coordinator and trainer Mohd Zulkarnian Mohammad said the ADI programme begins with theoretical lessons conducted by instructors from Kumpulan Pertanian Kelantan Berhad (KPKB), before participants proceed to practical training at the farm. Participants with no prior agricultural experience are given step-by-step guidance by trainers, from using a hoe and loosening the soil to preparing planting beds. Implementing the training in stages is important, as some participants have no prior experience in agricultural work, while others have never even used a hoe before joining the programme.
The programme is part of the ADI concept coordinated by the Malaysia Productivity Corporation (MPC), which aims to develop local talent and prepare a future workforce that meets industry needs. In terms of numbers, the programme has been running for two years, and students aged 16 and above can participate on a voluntary basis. The school has about eight acres of land, comprising six acres for school grounds and another two acres for the agrofarm.
The context of the programme is to provide students with practical skills and experience in agriculture, which will benefit them in their future careers. The programme is also in line with the government's initiative to develop local talent and prepare a future workforce that meets industry needs. As for what happens next, the programme is expected to continue providing students with hands-on agricultural skills and practical experience.
The school plans to expand the programme and involve more students in the future. Overall, the ADI programme at SMITI Tahfiz Tok Guru is a positive initiative that provides students with valuable skills and experience in agriculture. It is an example of how schools can provide students with practical training and prepare them for their future careers.
