Agri sector get vocational training boost
In a bid to combat youth unemployment and boost food production and security, youth are being training in this regard and the first batch has graduated.
A group of 11 trainee farmers became the first small-scale irrigation farmers to graduate at the Tsumis Arid Zone Agricultural Centre (TAZAC).
At a handover of certificates to the group of farmers last week, the permanent secretary in the agricultural ministry, Percy Misika stressed the importance of vocational training in the sector.
He said education, skills development and technical vocational training are central to agricultural production and rural employment in every country.
According to Misika vocational training in agriculture was previously non-existent in Namibia, and this has contributed to a lack of semiskilled workforce in the sector.
“As such, no accredited vocational training in agriculture existed in the country.”
With 25% of the population being youth (15 - 34 age group), and an unemployment rate of 37.5%, Namibia has a large pool of labour force to achieve economic transformation, said Misika.
He said the challenge however, is that the youth are unskilled and inexperienced. According to the 2016 national statistics, 20% of the total population is employed in agriculture sector.
“However, only 11.2% of the people working in the agriculture sector are skilled meaning, 88.8% are unskilled.”
Misika said to address the skills gaps in the agriculture sector, the government through the agricultural ministry identified TAZAC in the Hardap Region and the Mashare Agricultural Development Institute (MADI) in the Kavango East Region as training institutions to implement the vocational education and training programme in agriculture. This is being done with the support of the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).
The two centres admit young Namibians between the ages of 16 to 35 years with a minimum Grade 10 certificate and agricultural background from across the country.
These centres provide agricultural vocational education and training through short courses and one-year training courses by offering a certificate in livestock husbandry and a certificate in horticulture and crop husbandry at Level 2 respectively.
The trainees that received certificates have undergone a six-month foundation course in horticulture with particular emphasis on date, grape and vegetable production with a rigorous practical training at the Orange River Irrigation Project.
“The objective of this tailor-made course was to equip these young people with knowledge and skills that will enable them to embark upon commercial farming with export oriented cash crops such as dates and grapes, amongst others,” said Misika.
According to him this training is a prerequisite for the participation in the commercial irrigation farming at any irrigation project under the Green Scheme programme.
“I do not expect you to go and look for employment, but I look at you as new commercial farmers, prospective employers and young entrepreneurs, who will make their mark in a highly competitive national and international market for crops and horticultural products, thereby contributing to the attainment of food self-security, and improved livelihoods.”
ELLANIE SMIT
At a handover of certificates to the group of farmers last week, the permanent secretary in the agricultural ministry, Percy Misika stressed the importance of vocational training in the sector.
He said education, skills development and technical vocational training are central to agricultural production and rural employment in every country.
According to Misika vocational training in agriculture was previously non-existent in Namibia, and this has contributed to a lack of semiskilled workforce in the sector.
“As such, no accredited vocational training in agriculture existed in the country.”
With 25% of the population being youth (15 - 34 age group), and an unemployment rate of 37.5%, Namibia has a large pool of labour force to achieve economic transformation, said Misika.
He said the challenge however, is that the youth are unskilled and inexperienced. According to the 2016 national statistics, 20% of the total population is employed in agriculture sector.
“However, only 11.2% of the people working in the agriculture sector are skilled meaning, 88.8% are unskilled.”
Misika said to address the skills gaps in the agriculture sector, the government through the agricultural ministry identified TAZAC in the Hardap Region and the Mashare Agricultural Development Institute (MADI) in the Kavango East Region as training institutions to implement the vocational education and training programme in agriculture. This is being done with the support of the Namibia Training Authority (NTA).
The two centres admit young Namibians between the ages of 16 to 35 years with a minimum Grade 10 certificate and agricultural background from across the country.
These centres provide agricultural vocational education and training through short courses and one-year training courses by offering a certificate in livestock husbandry and a certificate in horticulture and crop husbandry at Level 2 respectively.
The trainees that received certificates have undergone a six-month foundation course in horticulture with particular emphasis on date, grape and vegetable production with a rigorous practical training at the Orange River Irrigation Project.
“The objective of this tailor-made course was to equip these young people with knowledge and skills that will enable them to embark upon commercial farming with export oriented cash crops such as dates and grapes, amongst others,” said Misika.
According to him this training is a prerequisite for the participation in the commercial irrigation farming at any irrigation project under the Green Scheme programme.
“I do not expect you to go and look for employment, but I look at you as new commercial farmers, prospective employers and young entrepreneurs, who will make their mark in a highly competitive national and international market for crops and horticultural products, thereby contributing to the attainment of food self-security, and improved livelihoods.”
ELLANIE SMIT
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