The AgriSETA recently participated in the Learning Cape Festival (LCF) which was attended by thousands of pupils, and 100 exhibitors from business and government demonstrated a wide range of career options and training opportunities held at the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town.

The mission of the Learning Cape Initiative (LCI) is to develop a learning Province by promoting the concept of lifelong learning. A learning Province contributes to redress and transform by building each individual’s capacity to become economically and socially active thereby improving their lives. In this way, a learning Province is concerned about issues of equity, justice and empowerment.

The LCI strives to achieve its mission through a number of activities. Hosting the Learning Cape Festival as an annual event, showcasing innovative projects and programmes, celebrates learner achievements, exposes people of all ages to a wide range of learning opportunities, particularly those that link to economic opportunities, and encourages a love of learning.

The LCI also encourages ongoing collaboration and building of partnerships between education and training providers from different sectors and learning areas. It is in this spirit that SETA’s based in the Western Cape (of which AgriSETA has a regional office) participated in the Learning Cape Festival.
 

The Learning Cape Festival showcased three major events: THE LEARNING FAIRE AND CAREERS EXPO, which was a career expo held from 1-3 August 2006 in the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town. This 3-day event hosted stands showcasing local, national and international exhibitors displaying: learning courses, new techniques and technologies, innovative methodologies, cutting edge services, accredited practitioners, etc. AgriSETA together with other SETA’s based in the Western Cape participated. AgriSETA is proud to have won the SABC Education Careers Faire BEST STAND AWARD for 2006! WORKPLACE SITES Throughout the month of August, the Learning Cape Festival was complimented by events hosted at institutional and/or workplace sites. The sites hosted mobile exhibitions, theatre, training workshops and Indabas reflecting the LCF themes and underpinning values and challenges of those constituencies. AgriSETA hosted a workplace event at Rooibos Ltd on Friday, 4th of August 2006.

Myra Hoffman & Caren Cleinwerck, at the LCF/SABC Career Faire and also winning the Best Stand Award.

The South African Rooibos industry has added its own flavour to the Learning Cape Festival. Together with the AgriSETA, the industry created a new world of opportunities for learners to pursue careers in the Rooibos industry. Rooibos introduced learners to its new qualification in the production and processing of Rooibos. The qualifications are taking learners through a learning experience beginning at the farm through to the processing and packaging of the product.

The Rooibos Ltd played a pivotal role in the development of the qualification where everybody from the farmers to the processors had a hand in the development of the actual curriculum.

Rooibos tea is only grown the Cederberg and adjacent lower lying agricultural areas, stretching from Porterville in the south to Van Rhynsdorp in the northern region of the Western Cape and this natural product is marketed worldwide. The quality control for the harvesting and processing of Rooibos is of the highest standards internationally.

 

Learners, Elrinda Bailey & Adam Kotze (front) with LCF initiative member Don Pascal (left), AgriSETA CEO, Machiel van Niekerk (centre) and Gerhard Mostert (right) of Rooibos Ltd

The AgriSETA and the Rooibos industry participated in the Learning Cape Festival to make learners in their own community more aware of the career opportunities in the industry. The industry has embarked on a learnership for unemployed and employed learners to achieve the national qualification at NQF level 2. In cooperation with AgriSETA, the Rooibos Ltd commenced with a Learnership over a 12 month period which accommodates 10 employed learners (18.1 category) and 15 unemployed learners (including youth from the adjacent previously disadvantaged areas) that are also employed part-time with the Rooibos Ltd. On Friday, 4 August 2006, the Learning Cape Festival, AgriSETA and community representatives attended a presentation at the headquarters of Rooibos Ltd where learners presented the attendants with the benefits from participating in the learnership. Earlier this year Rooibos launched its own training centre in Clanwilliam. They aspire to become a Centre of Excellence in the Rooibos industry. To meet the demand for skilled workers the industry is drawing from learners from the local community and region to participate in their training initiative. The industry wants to become an important contributor and training provider to the development of broad-based skills within the region.

RURAL EVENTS

The LCF 2006 also prioritised meaningful participation of rural areas across the Province: West Coast, George, Caledon, Worcester and Beaufort West. Mobile exhibitions travelled through these areas, providing information to learners and educators about career opportunities. Events were held at colleges, halls and in public spaces and focused on issues impacting on the area. Rural events include tourism activities; physics, science, maths and careers exhibitions; and recruitment.

HOW CAN WORKPLACES BE INVOLVED IN THE LEARNING CAPE FESTIVAL (LCF)?

Every year from about the first week of August to the first week of September there will be a range of education, training and development activities happening throughout the Western Cape, under the umbrella of the Learning Cape Festival. Workplaces can participate in the LCF in the following ways:

AS AN EXHIBITOR and participant at the following events

• The Learning Fair and Careers Expo attracting school, college, tertiary and adult learners, educators and sector stakeholders

• The Rural Programme which includes the towns of George, Beaufort West, Worcester, Caledon and Vredenburg

• Institutional sites which include the Workplaces, FET Colleges, etc.

OPENING YOUR WORKPLACE for a LCF learning programme

• This LCF programme will take place over an extended lunch break and could have as a target market the employees of the workplace and/or learners who could be potential future employees in your sector

• The LCF programme will be facilitated by the SETA representative, LCF Workplace Learning Coordinator, public and private providers (e.g. FET Colleges, Higher Education Institutions, Adult learning and ECD practitioners, etc.)

• The content of the programme will be determined in consultation with workplaces to align it with the needs and interests of each workplace and sector.

HOW COULD WORKPLACES BENEFIT FROM BEING INVOLVED IN THE LCF?

• Awareness of, and information on how to access education, training and development opportunities for current employees

• Collaboration and closer relationships with their respective SETA, Providers (public and private), provincial government departments and other relevant sector stakeholders

• Opportunities to interact with learners (school, FET College, Higher Education and Adult learners) as potential future employees in your sector

• Exposure through the comprehensive Media, Marketing and Communications Strategy of the LCF.

ROOIBOS LTD FEEDS THE SOIL OF THE ROOIBOS INDUSTRY BY FACILITATING EDUCATION Rooibos Ltd, South Africa’s biggest supplier of Rooibos, is offering two registered National Certificates for employees in the Rooibos Industry. An effective education centre at the head office in Clanwilliam, equipped with all the modern electronic aids has been established. The education centre’s services will offer appropriate internal skills programmes and courses, as well as training for the employees of producers and processors. After consultation with key stakeholders within the industry, standards for the two qualifications were drawn up in collaboration with the AgriSETA’s Standards Generating Body. These two qualifications are now registered with the South African Qualifications Authority:

The first group of students who are currently unemployed but have been awarded Learnerships by Rooibos Ltd

• National Certificate in Rooibos Production (NQF 2)

• National Certificate in Rooibos Processing (NQF 2)

The National Certificate in Rooibos Production (NQF 2) focuses on the cultivation practices of the Primary Producer and the workers in the industry, while the National Certificate in Rooibos Processing (NQF 2) focuses on the processing procedures of the Secondary Processors.

 

The first group of Rooibos Ltd employees who have enrolled for the education programme.

Mr Martin Bergh, the Managing Director of Rooibos Ltd, believes that the introduction of these programmes will have a positive add-on impact on the knowledge, competency and employability of workers. He further explains that these qualifications are aimed at the development of the upcoming producers of previously disadvantaged communities in both production and processing. This, he continues to explain, means that they will not only be competitive participants in the development of the industry, but will be providers of job opportunities and prosperity in the community as well. Rooibos is exported worldwide where various countries expect high quality standards - this is being addressed by these qualifications. AgriSETA has approved 25 Learnerships of which 10 learners are employed, and 15 are unemployed. The unemployed learners will receive an allowance, from the AgriSETA, for the 12 month duration of the course.

A MESSAGE FROM ONE OF OUR SKILLS DEVELOPMENT FACILITATORS (SDF’S) AT THE BRAYHILL FARM ON ABET

“Things have been VERY busy as you can imagine. We are running one lesson, of one hour, every day, doing one level per day, and the learners doing the computer lessons and book work on their own. Things are going very well. I have been so delighted with the staff's enthusiasm. They have even attended other classes not on their level, for the sake of participating. We have several other staff attend the Basic Oral classes, which has been really great in supporting these learners who potentially could have been left feeling inadequate and have been encouraged by having some of the learners from more advanced levels attend.

I had one of the learners delete software off the computer, but managed to retrieve it from the recycle bin.

I have been so overwhelmed by the vast void in general knowledge between myself and the learners. Things I have SO taken for granted as a reading person, I have come to truly appreciate. For example, one of the examples of a word beginning with “r” was "rocket". Well of course these people have no concept of what space is. This was a wonderful opportunity to talk about space, cell phones, stars and satellites. To see the amazement on peoples faces. This is a wonderful privilege to be witness to this kind of learning and we truly are grateful to the AgriSETA providing us with this opportunity. We have since become members of the local library and we (as I write) have of course a whole bunch of space books in the classroom which the learners are browsing through...in absolute awe of what they see in the pictures!!!

VERY exciting!! Our Basic Oral folk are doing well, and are able to cope with English. Some of the Level 2 learners are still a bit scared to use the computer...but we'll get there! It is hard for learners to make the time as well, as we are in the middle of calving season.

Thank you for following up with us and being so supportive. We really do appreciate it.

Kind regards

Yours in education
Debz Shaw
(SDF: Brayhill Farm)
 

BABY BOOM As from September 2006, Amanda Victor, the AgriSETA Secretary/Administrator, will be on maternity leave. Replacing her for the next five months will be Rita De Bruyn. We wish Amanda well over the next few months, and know she will enjoy her new bundle of joy.

Rita De Bruyn

Amanda Victor

AGRISETA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & CONFERENCE
 

Click here for Booking & Registration for the AgriSETA Conference.

Accommodation can directly be booked with the Kopanong Hotel & Conference Centre. Click here for the “Booking of Accommodation Form”.
 

For comments and suggestions please write to:
Caren Cleinwerck
caren@agriseta.co.za
Fax: (012) 325 1624
Tel: (012) 325 1655 ext 111

AgriSETA Contact Details:
Tel: (012) 325 1655
Fax: (012) 325 1677
Email: info@agriseta.co.za
Website: http://www.agriseta.co.za