Launch of the Orange Knowledge Program (OKP) in South Africa
Dutch and South African stakeholders from the agricultural, educational and governmental sectors came together from 2 to 5 April for the launch of a brand new bilateral collaboration project that aims to contribute to the strengthening education to better interact and match with agri-business. This multi-million Rand project will be implemented from 2019 – 2022 under the capacity development programme, the Orange Knowledge program funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and managed by Nuffic.
The project, SEAD-SA, will be implemented in two key agricultural provinces namely Western Cape and KwaZulu Natal in specific agricultural sectors identified by stakeholders and experts in the field. The project will offer students practical teaching and exposure to increase employability and simultaneously contribute to strengthening the staff poll for the relevant industries. This will be done through the development of 4 Agri-Education parks (AEPs), 3 in KZN and 1 in Western Cape. The AEPS are physical locations that brings together emerging networks of relevant educational institutes, companies, NGOs and government agencies. Hereby it creates a direct link between education and industry expertise, resources and labour demand.
Deputy-director general mr Mooketsa Ramasodi, department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, emphasized the relevance of the SEAD-SA project. “This project bringing education and agri-business could not have come at a more opportune time for South Africa”. This will fortify the engagements on the National Youth Policy 2020 and strategies in agriculture, forestry and fisheries aimed towards sustainable skills development.
Mary Peters, Elangeni College, and Harm Holleman, Aeres, as the lead South African and Dutch organisation in the program, shared their views on the importance of creating meaningful and sustainable collaboration to enhance the linkages with the agricultural industries and education.
Mervin Bakker, Regional Director at Nuffic Neso South Africa elaborates: “We are excited that with the launch of this Orange Knowledge project in Pietermaritzburg under the leadership of local lead organisation, Elangeni College and Dutch consortium leader, Aeres, the spotlight is on driving the TVET sector more towards the job market. Freddy Weima, Director-General echoed this sentiment in his address to the group. “We are especially happy to see a TVET college as the local lead partner and hope to see this in more of our projects.
Managed by Nuffic
The Orange Knowledge Program is a €195 million/3 billion ZAR development program funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs that is implemented in 53 countries. The program is managed by Nuffic, represented in South Africa by Nuffic’s Netherlands South Africa Education Support Office (Nuffic Neso South Africa). Nuffic is a Dutch non-profit organisation for internationalisation in education.
The Orange Knowledge Program contributes to sustainable social and economic development of partner countries by strengthening education systems and training capacities. It aims to have offered tens of thousands the possibility to change their future through education and training by mid-2022. The program offers funding for individual scholarships, tailor-made trainings and institutional partnerships between Dutch and local education institutions in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and higher education. It focuses on four thematic areas namely Water, Food and Nutrition security, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, and Security and Rule of Law) and aims throughout the programme for inclusion, employability and environmental sustainability.
For further information, contact:
Huba Boshoff via +27 (0)12 346 09 82| hboshoff@nesosouthafrica.org|www.nesosouthafrica.org
www.nuffic.nl/okp