Agri Export Technologist Programme

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PPECB, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, the AgriSeta and the EU, will soon be launching one of the most exciting technical training programmes in the industry. The purpose of the programme is to establish 100 competent black export perishable supply chain technologists.

The technologists will be trained across the entire supply chain and the programme is designed around six key building blocks, namely:

• Formal training to obtain the accredited qualification
• A seminar to expose learners to innovation and trends in the industry
• Practical and ‘on-the-job’ training
• Placement into formal employment for successful candidates
• To maximize the impact, learners will have to pass on their knowledge by mentoring black farmers under the supervision of senior PPECB personnel.
• The opportunity to specialize in a sector e.g. Citrus

The curriculum will require that the learners are able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of Export Legislation and Certification
• Understand the factors influencing Export Viability
• Demonstrate an understanding of the Cold Chain and thereby identify risks and the ability to react timeously
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of Food Safety aspects including GAP, GMP, GDP, traceability and responsible use and handling of pesticides
• Display knowledge of the principles of Total Quality Management and the related system and benchmarked practices being implemented.
• Apply Quality Assurance practices with a thorough understanding of quality systems to a specific product grouping (i.e. deciduous, citrus, subtropical, processing etc)
• Coach and Mentor individuals

Since this programme is not only aimed at training technologists for placement within the PPECB but also the entire industry, it will form the foundation of the PPECB’s Social Responsibility programme.

The costs of the programme amount to approximately R6,4m, to fund the programme over a three year period. At the moment, our funding partners are the Department of Agriculture, the Agriseta and the EU.

More information can be obtained from the Programme Manager: Skills Development, Johan van der Westhuizen (johanv@ppecb.com).