Twenty passionate students are about to kickstart their journey into the future of agriculture with an NQF Level 3 plant production course. This initiative is made possible by a new partnership between Absa and Agri Skills Transfer designed to upskill the next generation of agricultural leaders.
Shaun Welmans, the chief executive officer of Agri Skills Transfer, said the partnership and programme aim to tackle some of the sector’s biggest challenges such as unemployment, poverty, and a lack of skilled workers. He added that it also aligns with the government’s ambitious goal of creating one million jobs in agriculture by 2030.
Building the future
“The benefit of the programme lies in its practical application. Each concept covered in class will be taken out to the field, from soil pH and preparation to product finishing and market delivery.
“It’s going to be to give the students the ability to either be producers or entrepreneurs or even both. The aim is what can you take from this and what can you contribute towards the future, and that should be the rule on a personal basis right up to a citizen basis,” he said.
One of the selected students from Mpumalanga, Ponagatso Monareng, said they are delighted to be chosen for the initiative as it will help empower them for the future.
“I am truly grateful and excited for being chosen for this opportunity because I was sitting at home doing nothing and I was unemployed.
“I look forward to improving my skills in agriculture and learning more. I want to become a farmer because I’m passionate about agriculture [and] feeding communities. I want to open up my own garden and also do boilers after this course because I don’t have funds to start a farm,” Monareng said.
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A commitment to transformation
Neil Solomon, the head of learning for commercial premium and higher value at Absa, expressed their commitment to skills development, transformation, and entrepreneurship and the goal of seeing the students succeed.
“This is even outside of my portfolio but it’s part of the passion that I have been driving for the past 10 years across organisations around transformation, entrepreneurship, and small business creation.
“We chose to partner with Agri Skills because they not only demonstrated capacity and capability but also a passion for what they do. We want to associate ourselves with people who live their brand,” Solomon said.
According to Solomon, while many might venture into seeking employment, his wish is to see 30 to 40% of them interested and invested in setting up their own small business and creating employment.
Learning lifelong skills
Addressing specific challenges in the agricultural sector, Solomon highlights the need for improved financial management among development farmers.
“Many of our development farmers struggle with small business financial management and cash flow. This programme will serve as a channel to offer them essential financial skills, entrepreneurship, small business financial management, communication, and interpersonal relationship skills,” he said.
Solomon urged the students to take the opportunity presented to them with open hands and embrace it. “I think a lot of your parents and grandparents never had these opportunities. And when the opportunity is there, don’t take advantage of it,” he said.
Solly Legodi, the student liaison and facilitator at Agri Skills Transfer, expressed his enthusiasm for the programme and gratitude for being chosen as the facilitator.
“I am excited about the whole programme. The initiative is a great one, especially considering the amount of support people need in terms of finance, capital, and skills when starting their operations.
“I plan to begin the programme with the fundamentals, starting with the soil. Our approach will be to build knowledge from the soil up to the market,” he said.
The key outcome for Legodi is ensuring that participants can effectively apply the skills they’ve learned. He added that he will continue to mentor them even after the 12-month programme.
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