Future in young farmers

Senior Technical Officer at the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Council, Paul Puckerin, disclosed that the 15 students participating in the IICA Youth Farm Programme would be assessed against occupational standards for NVQ and IICA certification.
Speaking at the launch of the IICA Youth Farm Programme on Friday, July 13 at the IICA Headquarters, Baobab Towers, Warrens, St. Michael, he outlined that the project was an initiative of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, and held in collaboration with the TVET Council, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Agriculture and the participating secondary schools: Grantley Adams Memorial School, St. Lucy Secondary School, and the St. George Secondary School.
Puckerin explained: “These young agricultural students would have spent the last two or so years of their secondary school lives learning the theories, principles and skills required to work in their chosen fields. Over the next seven or eight weeks, they will be further trained in modern approaches to agriculture and horticulture practice.”
Stating that the students would have the chance to take part in on-the-job training in ornamental horticulture, sustainable farming and animal husbandry, he urged the boys and girls to “take hold of this life-changing opportunity as you will be seen as pioneers for your schools”.
Puckerin also pointed out that the IICA Youth Farm Programme was a valuable vehicle by which the TVET Council could achieve its mandate of promoting a competence-based TVET system in Barbados as a key means of workforce training. (BGIS)