A multi-stakeholder platform which aims to boost the use of water-smart technologies by farmers in Limpopo, Free State and Mpumalanga will be launched on 23 February 2021.
The Triple Helix (3H) initiative will provide a platform for farmers to work with local government, agri-business and research institutions towards finding joint solutions for their specific, local challenges. These solutions range from the introduction of new technologies, to the sharing of knowledge, opening networks to finance and providing skills training.
The 3H platform is the result of a collaboration between Stellenbosch University (SU) and the Maastricht School of Management (MSM), and facilitated by Agricolleges International (ACI).
“The 3H platform will act as a multi-stakeholder initiative in the domain of water-smart agriculture and horticulture. It will unite local government, local academia and researchers with farmers and agri-businesses. The aim is to further boost adaptation of water-smart technology in these regions," says project managers Hans Nijhoff from MSM and Manuel Jackson from SU.
The establishment of this platform is based on a labour market needs assessment, conducted by researchers from SU and MSM in 2019, to gain better insights into the skills needs of the horticultural and agricultural industry sector when hiring graduates from Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges in South Africa. The project, “Strengthening Skills of TVET Staff and Students for Optimizing Water Usage and Climate Smart Agriculture in South Africa" was funded by the Netherlands Universities Foundation for International Cooperation (NUFFIC), through the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
During the launch of the Triple Helix platform initiative, researchers will provide feedback on their findings from the labour market needs assessment survey. The speakers are Prof Danie Brink and Manuel Jackson from SU, Hans Nijhoff and André Dellevoet from MSM, Huba Boshoff from Nuffic/NESO, Jolanda Andrag from AgriSA, Prof Peliwe Lolwana from the South African Qualifications Authority, Wynand Espach from ACI, Johan Klinck from Motheo TVET College and representatives from the Nkangala, Vhembe and Motheo TVET Colleges.
Date: 23 February 2021
Time: 10:00-14:00
Platform: Zoom Meeting
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/96806999555?pwd=S2hYNWZvcHEydDd0c2EvaGlBbTFlUT09
Meeting ID: 968 0699 9555
Passcode: 566480
RSVP: laurika@agricolleges.com
Image by Ngobeni Communications on Unsplash
