AgriGroomers Annual Conference 2019: Addressing Youth Unemployment Through Skills and Agribusiness Development
Sat Sep 28, 08:00 - Sat Sep 28, 17:00
Durban
ABOUT
The slow rate of absorption of agricultural graduates by the sector, in particular, those from previously disadvantaged agricultural universities and colleges, is a worrying concern. Unemployment in the first quarter of 2019 increased by 0,5 of a percentage point, bringing the rate to 27,6%. The burden of unemployment is concentrated amongst the youth (aged 15–34 years) as they account for 63,4% of the total number of unemployed persons. Almost 4 in every 10 young people in the labour force did not have a job, with the unemployment rate within this group at 39,6% in the 1st quarter of 2019. Just under 30% of the youth have jobs and about half of them (48,8%) participate in the labour market.
To address these challenges, AgriGroomers is hosting its 2nd Annual Conference in Durban, South Africa, on the 28 September 2019.
The conference will gather students, graduates, government officials, academics, high-level stakeholders, as well as agribusiness owners to tackle the problems through thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions. Furthermore, it will create a cohesive platform for youth farm placement, job and business creation, and low capital investment opportunities.
Key Issues to be addressed are:
- Youth entitlement to employment after graduation
- Lack of education and training of agri-entrepreneurs
- Inaccessibility of land and finance for primary agriculture
- High failure rate of funding proposals for new entry agribusinesses
- Dormant researched potential solutions that are never implemented
- Converting agriskills into cash
The three-day conference will gather students, graduates, government officials, academics, high-level stakeholders, as well as agribusiness owners to tackle the problems through thought-provoking presentations and panel discussions. Furthermore, it will create a cohesive platform for youth farm placement, job and business creation, and low capital investment opportunities.
The conference is structured to accommodate the following as part of the planned session:
- Presentations by experienced and successful agri-entrepreneurs
- Business Case Competitions by current and aspiring agri-entrepreneurs
- Panel Discussions
- On-Stage Interviews
- Skills Development
- Job and Agribusiness Development
- Networking Sessions
- Exhibitions