The Ethiopian Horticulture Producers and Exporters Association (EHPEA) announced the opening of a technical and vocational Training Institute for the Horticulture sector.
The institute is the first of its kind in the country with a focus on ensuring competitiveness in the Ethiopian horticulture industry.
The training institute is established with the prime strategic objectives of elevating the capacity of horticulture sector operators in the country and ensuring sustainability while undertaking smart agriculture.
“The institute will fill the gap in skilled manpower and will play a great role in technology transfer as well as creating competent professionals specialized in the horticulture sector,” said Mikiyas Bekele, Head of the Institute.
According to Mikiyas, the institute foresees to deliver training with functional linkage to the private sector for training, apprenticeship, and internship and is expected to foster youth employment.
Aiming to train 2,000 students until 2022, the training institute will provide both short-term and long term trainings spanning between three to six months.
Moreover, it will cater its service to local and international institutions working on agriculture with specific target groups including unemployed youth, officials of Agribusiness organizations in the public and private sector, extension workers, unions and cooperatives.
It will also provide training for TVET instructors, farm managers, agronomists, storekeepers, compliance managers, supervisors, as well as farm scouts, according to a statement of the Horticulture Association.
Trends and Patterns of the International Market Standards, role of education and sustainability issues will also be addressed by the Institute.
The association has been providing relevant and practical training to help horticulture farms meet production targets and relevant legal and market label requirements for good agricultural practices.
Ethiopia has a great opportunity for horticulture development due to its favorable climatic conditions, fertile soil, huge irrigation potential, and affordable manpower.
The horticulture sector credited for creating over 200,000 direct jobs to the Ethiopian economy, has now become among the top five largest foreign currency contributors and export revenue generators.
