Afrika Tikkun Foundation seeks to develop the youth’s agri skills

Afrika Tikkun Foundation’s Agriprenuership Programme is offering youth a head-start in agriculture and related skills to boost South Africa’s food production potential, make the country more food secure and create much-needed employment.

The Afrika Tikkun Foundation’s mantra is to ‘train and develop SA’s youth for permanent participation in the agricultural economy through our one-year Agripreneurship Programme’.

This includes three to four months of intensive education at Afrika Tikkun Foundation’s farming academy north of Johannesburg, followed by nine months’ experience on commercial farms. This approach aligns with Afrika Tikkun’s ‘Cradle to Career’ philosophy, which aims to launch young people into a variety of careers, including ICT, retail, educational support and others.

Afrika Tikkun Foundation’s decision some years ago to start preparing the youth for careers in agriculture was visionary. This training includes the entire food chain. As primary production is not for everyone, Afrika Tikkun Foundation will place those trained individuals, who do not want to pursue a career in primary agriculture, somewhere else in the food supply chain, be it in food preparation, distribution or retail.

The outcome of the Agripreneurship Programme is the development of human capital for full and permanent inclusion in the agricultural economy of South Africa. This answers food security imperatives at a local, regional and national level. No other industry offers such a rich variety of careers to the vast numbers of unemployed.

When choosing candidates, applicants are assessed on their suitability to the varied, daily demands in agriculture. The assessment tool used is the A2B Hardwires system, which determines the 16 ‘hardwires’ preventing any individual from achieving his or her full potential.

Once on-boarded, A2B’s ‘Occupational Intelligence’ training is used, which focuses on the neurological development needed to prepare unemployed youth for the formal economy.

The second training component is the AgriSETA academic programme, which offers career development through a step-by-step process, even when learners are out on commercial farms.

Training on hydroponics, aquaponics and a variety of farming systems is covered. Thirdly, Afrika Tikkun introduces a performance management system, which teaches goal setting, planning daily, weekly, and monthly results, task completion and an individual’s ability to respond appropriately to whatever comes their way.

By the time these young people are placed into the economy, they have transformed mentally, morally and physically. In particular, the full A2B Transformation methodology (proven in some corporates nationally) has a lasting effect on the youth who pass through the system.

Source:farmersweekly.co.za