Finding a solution to agriculture's skills gaps

Skills development is vital to the growth and productivity of any business. Jeandré van der Walt reports on how various commodity organisations are providing the agricultural workforce with more skilled workers.

- Jeandre van der Walt

FAST FACTS

The skill sets of South African graduates have declined in recent years, according to the World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Competitiveness Report 2020’.

Through training, the wool industry has capacitated communal producers to market 5,88 million kilograms of wool, valued at R289 million, through the formal market during 2019/20.

The lack of quality formal education, funding and resources are some of the main challenges hampering skills development in South Africa.

The capabilities and skills of individuals and populations, known as human capital, is a key driver of economic prosperity and productivity, according to the World Economic Forum’s ‘Global Competitiveness Report 2020’.

The report notes that South Africa is one of several countries to have seen a downward trend in the adequacy of graduates’ skill sets in recent years.

“As a result, investing in human resource development is critical for the long-term sustainability and profitability of the agriculture industry,” says Jacomien de Klerk, manager of the Citrus Academy. A non-profit organisation, the academy was established by the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa in 2005 to address the skills shortages within the industry.

A DEARTH OF SKILLS