SIAH and the Dutch AERES Training Centre International discuss training partnership |04 July 2023
The two sides during the courtesy call yesterday
The Seychelles Institute of Agriculture and Horticulture (SIAH) and the Dutch AERES Training Centre International, which specialises in agriculture training, are exploring how they could establish a training partnership.
The two sides met yesterday during a courtesy call at the headquarters of the Ministry of Education in the presence of Minister Justin Valentin; John Lesperance, the principal secretary for Education Sector Development Department; SIAH’s chairperson and director general for Technical and Vocational training, Jean Alcindor; SIAH’s director, Mary-Anne Marie and its deputy, Ghislaine William; as well as Teus Korevaar, the representative for AERES Training Centre International.
The latter is in Seychelles for a week at the invitation of the minister responsible for agriculture, Flavien Joubert, and will be meeting with several partners including education officers, schools and staff, the farmers’ community, as well as extension and livestock officers before coming up with a report to outline the way forward specifically on the capacity-building in the sector.
The areas being looked at are animal husbandry, animal health, animal welfare, as well as training programme for veterinary assistants in Seychelles.
Speaking at the meeting, Minister Valentin thanked Mr Korevaar for accepting Seychelles, stating that the country would like to move agriculture education to the next level.
“This next level would mean, firstly, to raise the standard of the existing participant in the agricultural field while at the same time create opportunities for a different group of learners to access agricultural education,” he stated.
Minister Valentin said the popular past practice was to see fewer academic students destined for the agricultural field and this tendency has led to a lack of experts in the field.
“So we want to introduce agriculture education to academically-oriented students so that in the long run we will have more technicians, experts, more specialists in the field,” said Minister Valentin.
He added the conversation between SIAH and the AERES Training Centre International will give a platform to look at possibilities.
For his part, Mr Alcindor said SIAH has already identified two areas where training could be provided.
“We are glad he will be spending a week in Seychelles at the invitation of Minister Joubert to look at the training needs of the country especially since SIAH has a number of graduates who have done advanced certificates and diploma graduates, and who are the best performers, who would like to pursue their studies at degree level and advanced level respectively,” he stated.
Mr Alcindor added that another group that needs training are the technicians in the sector such as the veterinary nurses and livestock officers among others.
During yesterday’s courtesy call Mr Korevaar also gave an overview of what the Dutch centre offers, which includes all aspects of agriculture medication from horticulture, veterinary nursing, animal husbandry, crop production among others.
The institution offers training at various levels from primary up to 16 years old, as well as to university level, teacher training and that of adults.
Mr Korevaar also met with the board of SIAH and the University of Seychelles, since SIAH and the university have already signed a memorandum of understanding to discuss the courses that could be introduced.
Patsy Canaya