CURRENT PROGRAMMES

1. Green Economy Academy

2. Future farming for Youth

3. Future of work skills programme

4. Digital skills programme

5. Entrepreneurship Programme

6. Capacity building and leadership development

1. Green Economy Academy

YBT runs a Green Economy Academy which offers online training programmes. These can be completed as stand-alone or combined in a modular fashion. The overall goal of the Academy is to enable disadvantaged youth who are not in employment, education or training to seize green economy opportunities in technology, agriculture, waste, water, green building and energy, thus contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation. 

The online learning programme consists of six modules which are:

 Module 1: Fundamentals of Sustainable Development

Module 2: Agriculture | Sustainable agriculture, food production and forestry

Module 3: Water | Responsible water management

Module 4: Waste | Sustainable waste management practices

Module 5: Energy | Clean energy (renewables) and energy efficiency

Module 6: Construction | Green buildings and the built environment

Each module contains pre-recorded lessons, quizzes and assignments.

The Water Graduate Employment Programme Phase II- ManziPreneurs Incubator

Between December 2021 and June 2022 YBT implemented the ManziPreneurs Incubator programme in partnership with the Water Research Commission (WRC). This was a pilot project targeting 300 unemployed graduates to orientate them towards entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial careers and it focused on work exposure placements, business incubation, and transitioning into employment.

This is a 6-month programme and comprised of:

ManziPreneur Business Pitch Competition

The ManziPreneurs Business Pitch Competition was the final component of the Water Graduate Employment Programme (Water GEP II) ManziPreneurs Incubator stream held on the 04th of July 2022 at the Pretoria Botanical Gardens. The Water GEP II falls under the Presidential Employment Stimulus (PES) and is a partnership between the Water Research Commission (WRC) and the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) to build future capacity for the water sector. The overarching objective of the programme was to catalyse job creation and water sector exposure in support of sustainable economic development.

Youth Ignite: South African and American Youth Dialogue on the Green Economy programme

To support South Africa’s Green COVID recovery, YBT implemented a programme in partnership with the US Embassy in Pretoria, which supported 50 unemployed youth to acquire new knowledge and skills to participate in South Africa’s growing green economy.

The programme comprised three components:

1. Six-week Green Economy Academy online skills programme incorporating six modules: 1) Fundamentals of Sustainable Development; 2) Sustainable Agriculture, Food Production and Forests; 3) Water – Responsible Water Management; 4) Waste – Sustainable Management Practices; 5) Construction – Green Building and the Built Environment; and 6) Energy – Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency.

2. Eight-week business accelerator that guides youth participants through a vision and ideation process and get them to a point where they are ready to pitch their business concepts/models to customers and funders, and ready to start planning to launch their new business ideas.

3. A “Donor’s Den” styled business pitch & business plan competition culminating in a live event, with a cash injection for the best business ideas.

Participating youth were required to complete a minimum number of tasks to qualify for entry into the business pitch competition.

Youth Ignite: South African and American Youth Dialogue on Green Economy Podcast:

This is a series of 6 podcasts which take you through some of the exciting green career journeys by South Africans. The podcasts also explore American case studies and best practices. The podcasts cover the following topics.

i)              Renewable Energy

ii)             Sustainable Development

iii)            Sustainable Water Management

iv)            Regenerative Agriculture

v)             Green Buildings

vi)            Waste Management

2. Future farming for Youth

The programme is targeted at youth in Africa to seize opportunities in farming, agribusiness, agro-processing and sustainable agriculture, thus contributing to improved food security, entrepreneurship, and job creation.

In the current Covid-19 environment (but also pre-Covid-19), YBT has responded to the need to develop new ways of delivering training and entrepreneurial support. We offer programmes that are responsive to need and specifically the current Covid-19 environment, with an emphasis on 4IR skills and agriculture skills development.

One of the programmes YBT offers is:

National Certificate in General Agriculture

• Qualification: (NQF 4 – SAQA ID: 20290)

• Accreditation: Agri Seta

• Duration: 1 year

This full-time qualification provides learners with a broad understanding of all types of agriculture. Learners who successfully complete it are better prepared for entry-level positions in agriculture or for further study in an agriculture related field.

This qualification is ideal for school leavers wishing to pursue further studies in agriculture, farm operators, farm supervisors, junior managers and emerging farmers who have practical experience on farms, but who do not hold a formal qualification in agriculture. It is facilitated online, and sessions for practical application are done in person.

Currently it is being offered to 50 unemployed youths in Maipeng and Tsineng area in Northern Cape.

3. Future of work skills programme

The programme prepares disadvantaged youth to seize entry level employment opportunities, prepare for entrepreneurship and develop a foundation for specialising their skills journeys in various sectors of the economy. It aims to develop informed and skilled learners who can apply the acquired skills in any industry and should contribute towards improved productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

4. Digital skills programme

This programme is designed for youth who want to enter the IT sector. We offer accredited training in areas such as web development, digital marketing and social media marketing.

5. Entrepreneurship Programme

The programme is aimed at equipping youth with the relevant and accessible set of skills, knowledge and values to become entrepreneurs. The objective of the programme is to drive entrepreneurship and create job opportunities that could bring significant changes to the local economy.

6. Capacity building and leadership development

YBT has offered training to community-based organisations to build their overall organisational and human capacity to enable them to strengthen local youth development ecosystems in Africa. This assists in accelerating youth employment, entrepreneurship and further education and training.