Uptake of innovations and empowerment
Selected knowledge institutes improve their seed-related curricula and courses, and 350 youth – of which half are women – enhance their capacities through education, training, and internships in the seed sector. Furthermore, 50,000 farmers (50% women) are trained on sustainable agricultural practices.
Align education and training with needs of seed sector
A growing private sector and more competitive seed industry is going to need skilled young men and women empowered with the knowledge to take up technologies to innovate crop production and improve crop yields sustainably. This includes supporting knowledge institutes in seed-related capacity building, providing education and training opportunities for youth in seed-related fields, conducting research, offering internships, and facilitating the adoption of Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) among small-scale food producers.
Support knowledge institutes in seed related education
Through supporting Ethiopian knowledge institutes, we aim to better align education and training with the evolving needs of the seed sector. Through consultation with stakeholders, Haramaya & Bahir Dar universities and agricultural technical and vocational education and training (ATVET) institutes, we will ensure that their offerings are responsive to the changing labor market.
Stichting Wageningen Research brings expertise in facilitating the development of curriculum for higher education institutions focusing on seed science and technology, seed business, and seed systems. While there are existing relevant modules, manuals, and materials, the SWR team will provide support to Ethiopian universities and ATVETs in customizing these resources to the local context. Emphasis will be placed on encouraging participation in education and training programs through fellowships for national and international short courses, postgraduate scholarships (with at least half designated for women), and promotion in popular media.
Placing youth in internships
Young men and women will be supported in their professional development through coaching and placement in internships with seed companies and seed service providers in a similar fashion to the Netherlands Young Expert Programme (YEP).
We intend to enroll hundreds of youth in seed sector internships, with at least half being women. We aim to recruit graduates of ATVETs and universities, as well as talented self-starters. Ultimately, our goal is to create opportunities for permanent employment in the seed sector for the interns, and we believe that their internship experience will complement their education and training with the necessary soft skills for professional performance.
- Coaching
- Promising young entrepreneurs and graduates get supports such as:
- Networking to meet one another, potential employers, and explore career opportunities
Practical training on sustainable agricultural practices
Here we aim to reach farmers with practical training on SAPs. We aim to combine variety testing and variety demonstrations with on-farm training activities for farming men and women on SAPs. The Partnership will achieve this with predominantly vegetable seed companies in the lead but will work in collaboration with HortiLIFE as well. The following activities are proposed:
- Establishing collaboration projects with seven to ten international seed/young plant companies;
- Introducing nutritionally dense vegetables to Ethiopia;
- Demonstrating improved varieties and related technologies of crops given less attention by government and its partners;
- Training farmers on SAPs – Agronomists of the companies, supported by Wageningen Plant Research, will organize hundreds of farmer training sessions per season.
- Personal and professional development trainings
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