Agricolleges International, a cloud-based e-learning institution, was launched yesterday in Johannesburg.
Speaking to ITWeb, Howard Blight, chairperson and founder of Agricolleges, said the e-learning institution aims to alleviate the shortage of well-trained personnel entering the agri-business and agri-related businesses and, in so doing address the shortage along with other issues such as food security and unemployment.
"We will offer students from all walks of life, starting in South Africa, the opportunity to access or continue their education in the agri-sciences. Students would be able to access courses on either desktop or mobile devices," he said.
Blight says Mumbai-based innovations consultancy, Consilience, designed and continues to build the tools for the online courses which will be hosted through US Desire2Learn's Brightspace learning management system.
SA-based Visions Consulting, which is in partnership with Desire2Learn on this project, will provide day-to-day support and maintenance.
"Stellenbosch University will aid with the establishment of an e-learning curriculum and will also use Agricolleges as a portal through which to extend the opportunity to facilitate the agri-science learning at undergraduate level. We are hoping to have our first courses accredited by the end of this year and then we can get our registration. No courses will be offered until the formal nationally accepted accreditation process has been followed. We are not offering registration at the moment," explained Blight.
The South African government has in recent years been in support of increasing economic participation in agri-business through initiatives such as the Agricultural Policy Action Plan, which is expected to promote the revitalisation of agriculture and agro-processing value chains in priority commodities such as maize, soya beans, poultry and red meat.
These commodities were identified in the national development plan as having high growth potential and high labour absorption capacity, hence contributing to creating one million jobs by 2030.
'E-agriculture' is an emerging field that sees agricultural services, technology dissemination, information and communication delivered or enhanced through the Internet of things.
Blight concludes: "The fact is farming is unfortunately seen as a less attractive career option for the youth market. We need to change this mindset. Agri-business is witnessing a radical makeover from the days of handheld apparatus to the modern-day computer-controlled, GPS-monitored and self-steer programmes. There is an evolution of agricultural practices. We aim to put the spotlight back on education in agriculture and attract young talent to create a sustainable future for all. From 2018, we will venture north into the sub-continent, offering the same programmes to students from other African countries."
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