Evaluation of Internship Implementation in the Agricultural Product Processing in Agribusiness Expertise Program: CIPP Study at Vocational High School in Merauke

Abstract

Internship programs are critical components of vocational education, especially in agricultural-based regions like Merauke, Indonesia, where vocational high schools (VHS) aim to prepare students for careers in the agro-industry. However, many internships remain unevaluated in terms of relevance and effectiveness. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of the internship program in the Agricultural Product Processing Agribusiness (APHP) Expertise Program using the CIPP (Context, Input, Process, Product) evaluation model. Employing a quantitative approach, this research involved 116 participants, including students, teachers, school leaders, and industry partners, from four vocational high schools (VHS) and four agro-industry companies in Merauke. Data were collected through a validated Likert-scale questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed moderate contextual alignment and institutional readiness, but significant weaknesses in process execution and internship outcomes. Students' engagement, technical and soft skills development, work-readiness, and confidence were found to be low, with minimal industry feedback and reflective learning. The discussion highlights the misalignment between school preparation and agro-industrial demands, as well as the lack of pedagogical innovation in internship management. This study concludes that internship programs must move beyond compliance to competency-driven models. Practical recommendations include enhancing school-industry collaboration and teacher capacity. Theoretically, the study reinforces the applicability of the CIPP model for evaluating complex vocational programs.