Gauteng dept uses youth to tackle food security
“Instead of having a youth that is heavily reliant on welfare services, we want a youth that can sustain itself.”
The Gauteng department of social development has predicted that South Africa’s population would reach 82 million by 2035, and with that the demand for food will double.
Gauteng social development MEC Morakane Mosupyoe was speaking at a graduation ceremony at the Rebafenyi development centre in Hammanskraal recently.
The graduates had finished a course that was part of the centre’s agri-youth skills development programme.
“Researchers say that the country’s entrepreneurship levels are still low, especially among young people,” she said.
“Instead of having a youth that is heavily reliant on welfare services, we want a youth that can sustain itself. While we provide services, we also ensure we break the cycle of hunger, poverty and unemployment.
“We want to ensure they are equipped to run successful businesses through this entrepreneurship skills programme so that they not only seek employment, but they become employers.”
Mosupyoe said her department assisted the centre by facilitating the learning programme in which young people could acquire certification for an accredited short course.
She said the course was followed by six months of practical application of what they learned in class to prepare them for work or establish businesses within the agriculture sector.
“Through this programme, we’ve trained 50 learners to an NQF level 2 plant production short course that is accredited by AgriSETA, and 50 learners to an NQF level 4 new venture creation short course also accredited by ServicesSETA,” said Mosupyoe.
“To the young people, considering the expected population growth and demand for the agricultural sector, if you ever had a doubt in your mind that this skills development programme was a mistake, I am telling you it was not.”
Mosupyoe said the graduates were part of the youth cohort that faced hardships of unemployment and lack of skills.
She said the programme aimed at training, developing, and mentoring the 100 youth participants with critical and scarce entrepreneurship skills to establish their own cooperatives in the plant production sector.
“The 100 participants will be assisted to establish 10 cooperatives in the agriculture sector.”
The programme will also ensure the development of entrepreneurs, technical skills in the agricultural space (plant production) and exposure to the business environment dubbed the new venture creation.
“The 50 unemployed youth in the province with an interest in the plant production sector received technical training, career development, mentorship within the sector and got experiential training about the industry through placement at various companies for six months,” she said.
“Most importantly, because this is a provincial programme it will be found in all regions of our province and not only Tshwane.”
Thrilled graduate Thobile Mogale (22) of Moshemong, Hammanskraal, said: “I’m over the moon with my newly acquired certificate which will assist us together with my partners to start and operate a cooperative successfully.”
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