South Africa is sitting with a major youth unemployment crisis with job shedding ensuing in major industries. However, agriculture is a great source of employment and during a recent Gather To Grow Twitter session, attendees were encouraged to kickstart their agri careers.
The session featured AgriSETA’s media and communications practitioner, Didintle Pilane, who called on job seekers to ensure that their CVs were up to date.
A starting point
“I want to take this opportunity to plead with job seekers to advertise themselves well, much like when they do during an interview. They can do so when they apply via the ConnectMe app which is a database from which employers can pick and choose,” she said.
Pilane was referring to AgriSETA’s Connect Me app which is used to connect job seekers with potential employers.
She explained that the aim of the app was to have a pool of skills, experience, and expertise, and job opportunities that are in dire need in the country.
“We have gotten some students and job seekers who have given us a thumbs up regarding the app, and we believe this app makes them visible to the employer, and we have received reports that some have been contacted and offered a job,” she said.
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Get in touch with industry role players
Malapane Thamaga, an agricultural economist and ministerial representative of the Maize Trust, also participated.
He encouraged agricultural graduates to aggressively look for opportunities by attending events and going through different commodities portals as there are bursaries available.
“As the Maize Trust, [we allocated] an amount of R1.3 million annually to bursaries with a specific focus on areas that are close to maize like conservation agriculture, climate change, production research, and crop quality,” he said.
Thamaga says het would like to see more students of institutions of higher learning, especially agricultural colleges get in touch with industry role players.
This will help them get a sense of where they’re headed after completing their studies.
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