Petrokimia Gresik Launches Young Farmer Scholarship Program for Vocational School Students in East Java

Petrokimia Gresik, an Agroindustry Solution company and a member of the Pupuk Indonesia, is once again initiating the Young Farmer Scholarship program for 50 outstanding students from Agricultural Vocational High Schools (SMK) in East Java.

Dwi Satriyo Annurogo, President Director of Petrokimia Gresik, announced on Wednesday (June 21) that the regeneration of farmers in Indonesia remains a serious issue that requires attention from various parties. This scholarship program is a tangible manifestation of Petrokimia Gresik's commitment to cultivating the interest of the younger generation in the agricultural sector.

"Sustainable agriculture in Indonesia is inseparable from efforts to regenerate farmers. Petrokimia Gresik, positioned as a solution in the agroindustry sector, continues to motivate the younger generation, especially students from Agricultural Vocational High Schools in East Java, to be consistent in developing agriculture," said Dwi Satriyo.

This year, the Young Farmer Scholarship program by Petrokimia Gresik will commence with registrations from June 4 to June 30, 2023. The subsequent stages include the selection process, with the scholarship recipients being announced on July 28, 2023.

It's worth noting that this year marks the second edition of Petrokimia Gresik's Young Farmer Scholarship. In 2022, a total of 99 applicants from 23 accredited A and B SMKs in East Java were invited to participate in the program. However, only 50 participants successfully passed the selection and received scholarships from Petrokimia Gresik.

"This year, we will once again award the Young Farmer Scholarship to 50 students from Agricultural Vocational High Schools in East Java. We hope that through this scholarship, they will become more optimistic about pursuing a career in the agricultural sector," emphasized Dwi Satriyo.

The eligibility criteria for this program include students from Grade XI in the Agricultural Cluster (Agriculture, Agricultural Agribusiness, Agrotechnology, Agricultural Technology) from accredited A SMKs in East Java. Each school is allowed to send a maximum of five students to participate in the selection process.

Participants must demonstrate academic excellence in school, as evidenced by a minimum average report card score of 8.00 for each semester from Grade X Semester I to Grade XI Semester I, with no scores below the Minimum Completeness Criteria (KKM). Participants with academic and non-academic achievements, as well as organizational experience, will receive additional points. Participants are also required to write an essay on the theme "Challenges of Future Agricultural Food."

Successful participants in the selection process will receive a monthly scholarship of Rp6,000,000 for 12 months. Additionally, scholarship recipients will receive training in the field of agriculture from Petrokimia Gresik and competent speakers.

"Through this training, students will be encouraged to have creative ideas so that they can demonstrate to other young generations that agriculture is a highly interesting sector to develop," concluded Dwi Satriyo.