Partnership to bolster the quality of a business learning programme in the agricultural sector in rural South Africa

Abstract

This paper describes how a public-private partnership bolsters the quality of a business learning programme aligned to South African national transformation imperatives. This regional learning programme, empowering adult learners working and learning in vineyards in rural South Africa, was initiated by a partnership between public institutions of higher learning, AgriSETA (Agriculture Sector Education and Training Authority) and, a regional private farm company and community in the Green Kalahari. To run this Public-Private Partnership Project, a stakeholder learning collaboration was formed consisting of community leaders, agriculture practitioners, farm managers, organised business and labour, pre-, un- and employed prospective learners and knowledge workers from professional bodies and higher education institutions ensuring the provision of contextualised quality education and training. By working together, the stakeholders created a sustainable innovative learning and work environment. The paper gives an account of how the beginning (programme development and review to contribute to the transformation of a particular target group) and end of the learning process (student assessment and success) had been planned, delivered, and quality assured by social dialogue and collaboration between social partners. It examined what have been the concrete achievements.

Keywords:

• Business learning
• agriculture