Thirty-one students from nine secondary schools will reap the fruits of their labour, when the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), and the Ministry of Education, host an awards ceremony for the Youth in Agriculture Farm Programme 2014.
The ceremony will take place on Friday, October 24, in the auditorium of the Samuel Jackman Prescod Polytechnic, Wildey, St. Michael, at 9:30 a.m.
The Youth in Agriculture Farm Programme, also known as the Youth Farm Programme, got underway at the start of the summer vacation, with classroom training sessions organised by the IICA Office in collaboration with the Ministries of Education and Agriculture.
The annual, eight-week programme, which is also sponsored by the TVET Council, was developed to give agriculture science students in secondary schools exposure to training in the best agricultural techniques and to gain certification in Amenity Horticulture.
Designed to enhance the students??? knowledge, skills and competencies in agriculture, the programme is broken down into three main components: classroom and practical sessions on agricultural best practices; on-farm attachments; and personal and business development training. Successful candidates will graduate with a Caribbean Vocational Qualification in Amenity Horticulture Level 1.
This year???s programme also provided students with the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Youth Farm Market Day, which allowed them to share what they learned with parents, teachers and patrons, as well as practice their customer service, communication, problem solving and teamwork skills and utilise their technical knowledge.