South Africa’s agricultural skills development agency says it wants to expand opportunities for young people in the sector as the country grapples with widespread food insecurity and youth unemployment.
AgriSETA chief executive Fanny Phetla told the Mail & Guardian this week that the agency was determined to create opportunities for social, economic and employment growth in agro-enterprises through education, training and development.
“This we are doing through relevant, quality and accessible education, training and development in primary and secondary agriculture, in conjunction with stakeholders in agriculture,” Phetla said.
AgriSETA supports skills development and projects in the agricultural sector, working with agricultural colleges and government departments.
“AgriSETA continues to fulfil its role in the agriculture sector according to its mandate, through skills development and empowerment,” he said. “The agricultural sector is central to livelihoods, economic development and food security, with skills development playing an important role in strengthening the sector.”
Phetla said AgriSETA had achieved between 85% and 95% of its performance targets over the past five years, in line with its service level agreement with the department of higher education and training. The agency was working towards achieving all its targets.
AgriSETA services were open to all young people in South Africa, he said. “The youth are encouraged to visit our website and to look out for accredited training providers.
“There is a comprehensive list on our website and young people can apply for bursaries via TVETs and agricultural colleges for AgriSETA-funded programmes, all done via the department of agriculture bursaries scheme.”
Those already employed could approach their employers about AgriSETA-funded bursaries, learnerships and work-integrated learning.
But attracting young people to agriculture remains a challenge. AgriSETA provided career guidance to school learners from grades 8 to 12, including visually and hearing-impaired students, Phetla said.
The agency also uses WhatsApp booklets and online podcasts to make career guidance more accessible. Phetla said agricultural training should combine classroom learning with practical experience on farms, in agribusinesses, cooperatives and food-processing companies.
“By creating pathways into decent agricultural work, young people with a passion for agriculture, who would like to make it a career, can choose from many professions covering low-level skills to PhDs.
“The list is endless, and as a start, we encourage future agriculturalists and artisans to focus on scarce skills such as irrigation, soil management, climate-smart farming, food processing, storage management, digital farming practices and solutions.”
He said skills in technologies such as drones and sensors, as well as business management, marketing, finance and export standards, would also be important.
According to Phetla, improving food security would require stronger support for young entrepreneurs, smallholder farmers and emerging farmers.
“We have to strengthen strategic partnerships, establish business incubators for youth-owned enterprises and small-holder and emerging farmers,” he said.
“Business incubators can provide mentoring, shared tools, legal assistance, accounting and access to markets. Young people will then become job creators, rather than being job-seekers.”
Recent engagement with agricultural-sector stakeholders highlighted the need for stronger collaboration, improved access to qualifications and more assessment centres, Phetla said.
AgriSETA was committed to improving access to assessment centres across the provinces and making learning materials available on its website.
Phetla said stakeholder input would inform the agency’s programme planning and future interventions, with a focus on employment, entrepreneurship and participation in the agricultural value chain.
The agency also recognised the need to support emerging farmers through skills development, capacity building and partnerships.
“Our message is one of partnership and continued collaboration for greater impact,” said Phetla. “We encourage employers, levy payers, SDFs, accredited training providers, institutions of higher learning, youth and communities to continue engaging with AgriSETA - making use of relevant skills development opportunities.”
AgriSETA, he added, remained committed to listening to the sector, strengthening partnerships and ensuring that its interventions responded to real needs and contributed meaningfully to the growth and sustainability of the country’s agricultural sector.