Empowerment of previously disadvantaged individuals through actions to improve knowledge and skills.
Empowerment in the primary industry sector: Training, technology transfer, skills development with mentorship of previously disadvantaged individuals in the primary livestock/dairy sector. (Project manager: Institute for Dairy Technology)
This project involves training and the transfer of skills to emerging livestock farmers. All available learning material and programmes are offered to emerging livestock farmers in a process to develop sustainable agri-enterprises. The merit of these training programmes lies in the empowerment of emerging farmers as part of the food supply chain.
The project addresses animal health, udder health, milk production, financial management, milk harvesting, milk quality, milk recording, milk hygiene, vaccines and immunisation, nutrition, breeding, reproduction, animal husbandry, goat farming, productivity and free market system, motivation and work ethics, milk harvesting, training and technology transfer.
Training that addresses cost-effectiveness is indispensable where milk producers are battling high input costs and low margins. Effective dairy management has a direct influence on milk quality and safety.
Empowerment in the primary industry sector: Mentoring of developing dairy farmers in the primary sector. (Project manager: Institute for Dairy Technology)
The project addresses transformation at its three most important levels for individual empowerment: transfer of skills; enterprise development; social upliftment.
The project aims to transfer decision making skills to developing dairy farmers. The participating farmers are empowered in an ongoing pattern and progress is recorded on the accepted goals. The project is presently operated in Freestate and Western Cape.
Each project works on the basis of regular communication, visits, meetings, planning, setting goals. All facets of dairy farming are covered.
Empowerment in the secondary industry sector. (Project manager: SA Milk Processors’ Organisation)
Project 1: Revision of unit standards for re-submission to the South African Qualifications Authority, via the Food Manufacturing Standards Generating Body, together with the currently registered qualification designs supported by these unit standards.
In terms of the SAQA Act and Regulations, unit standards on which qualifications are based, and the qualification design itself, are registered with a limited life-span of three years. Thereafter, both must be revised and re-submitted for re-registration. There is an option to re-register existing unit standards in unaltered form for a further three years, on condition that they are scrutinized by the users. The unit standards in use for ‘Dairy’ qualifications were registered (following the first revision) in February and April 2006. Thus these unit standards have to be revised and re-submitted by February 2009. A total of 99 unit standards are in use, which necessitates scrutiny/revision for timely re-submission. A team of industry based evaluators will be recruited for this revision to ensure transparency, but guided by the Training Manager and consultants who performed the previous revisions successfully.
Project 2: Revision and provision of dairy technical learning materials that conform to the requirements set in revised unit standards, for use in obtaining formal qualifications.
Any amendments to the unit standards automatically impacts on the learning materials based on these unit standards. It is foreseen that not more than 20% of the existing learning materials will have to be revised, and in most cases only minor adjustments ought to be necessary.
Project 3: Development of newly identified in-company coaching guides for operational training, not aimed at obtaining formal qualifications.
The in-company coaching manuals developed opened up the world of learning for substantial numbers of past non-participants. The positive feedback on this non-formal (in terms of bureaucratic, administrative SETA involvement) learning intervention has sparked much interest. Only the basic, low level skills are currently addressed in these manuals. Enquiries have been received on the availability (current or future) of such manuals for workers deployed at more complex functions. This needs to be investigated and, in all probability, will lead to further developments in this regard.
Project 4: Enhancement of the usefulness of existing learning materials by the development of selected training aids.
The currently developed learning materials (both ‘formal’ and ‘non-formal’) are
of exceptional quality, in terms of contents and layout. Great numbers of requests have been received, however, on the availability of training aids such as posters/wall charts and CD/DVD to supplement these hard copy materials. Specific references have been made to procedure depictions, in the form of laminated wall charts, which could be used in training sessions as well as exhibited at the work stations. The requirement was that such depictions should be sourced from the learning materials. This should also support the in-company coaching manuals. A feasibility study will have to be conducted on the affordability of DVD (animated) training aids.
Project 5: Improved mobilization of the use of both unit standards-based and in-company learning materials.
This project is aimed at the encompassing, comprehensive marketing of training materials and other products of training. In addition, advice on training problems and procedures, as an extension of the dispensational manual compiled in a previous project, will for part of this marketing drive, in order to involve more processors in training. Regional workshops and frequent newsletters will form the basis of this project.
Project 6: Representation of processor-employers on statutory skills development structures.
This project entails the representation of processor-employers on statutory structures (together with a number of representatives from industry). There are currently efforts at changing the SETA structure, and some uncertainties have arisen. It remains important that the secondary industry is represented on these structures, also by an expert in training matters, who is more available than the current industry representatives.
Project 7: Finalisation of a system and documentation for integrated and exit level outcomes assessment, for dairy technical qualifications.
The outputs of this project are in essence dependant on outputs of projects 1 and 2, and is essentially a continuance of the same project conducted in 2007, which could not be completed. Logical clusters of unit standards, alluding to the exit level outcomes in the revised qualification designs, were compiled and approved by industry. Unfortunately, all or most of the assessment guides of the individual unit standards had to be available, to enable the integration thereof, plus the creation of new additional tools for integrated practical assessment. These assessment guides will only be available at the end of 2007, necessitating a continuance of this project in 2008.
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