Paisley Engaging young professionals in the agri food sector - strategies, lessons and experiences from YPARD and YPARD Africa
1. Engaging Young Professionals in the Agri-
food Sector: Strategies, Lessons and
Experiences from YPARD and YPARD
Africa
Courtney Paisley, YPARD Coordinator and
Gbadebo Odularu, YPARD Africa Coordinator
Presented at: Young People, Farming and Food: Future of the Agrifood
Sector in Africa
2. What is YPARD?
A global platform of young professionals under 40 years of
age active in Agricultural Research for Development (ARD)
3. Why YPARD?
Insufficient participation of young professionals
in dialogues addressing critical development
issues
• Limited access to professional opportunities for
youth
• Absence of a support network or platform to
voice young professionals’ ideas, opinions and
concerns
• Declining interest in agricultural education
among youth
• The need for sustainable ARD
4. Ageing ARD population
Age distribution by agency and gender, 2007 (calculated by headcount)
At these three agencies, the large majority of researchers were over the age of 40 in 2007. Over
half were between the ages 51 and 60. This aging pool of well-qualified researchers, many of whom
will retire in the next decade, is a major area of concern.
Sources: Calculated by authors from ASTI-AWARD 2008/09.
5. Objectives
1. To facilitate the exchange of information and
knowledge among young professionals across
disciplines, professions, age and regions
2. To broaden opportunities for young professionals to
contribute to strategic ARD policy debates
3. To promote agriculture among young people
4. To facilitate access to resources and capacity building
opportunities
9. What we provide our members
Information on funding opportunities, jobs, news in ARD
and more!
YPARD newsletter to keep up-to-date on activities of
interest to YPs in ARD
Online interaction with YPs around the globe
Opportunities to apply to represent YP interests at
meetings and workshops
Ability to build a professional profile
Actively contributing to a more dynamic ARD!
10. What is Youth?
YPARD chose an age limit to practically
manage a network
Under 40 years of age
Agricultural research requires long
schooling
Young women often at a further
disadvantage
Post conflict countries
Also include ‘experienced and supportive
professionals’ as members
11. Mentoring
93.5% members say that they want a
mentoring programme
promote a two-way mentoring process
which benefits both parties
Focus on young women and mentoring in
agri-entrepeneurship
Senior-Junior partnerships for
consultancies
12. Youth voice in events
Leverage minimal funds for maximum
impact
Make sure the youth have something
concrete to say
Represent youth on specific topics from
specific stakeholder groups
YPARD as a facilitation mechanism
Make youth a regular stakeholder group
for consultation. Changes perceptions
and provides opportunities.
13. Active young members
For Africa submissions were 15 times the
budget available
Increase of volunteerism in the region
People want to develop their professional
visibility
Language challenges – East and West
Africa
14. What our members say
Why did you join YPARD?
2. Increase networking possibilities (70%),
3. Receive information on ARD related
events (49%)
4. Gain access to funding opportunities
(43%)
5. Receive information about job
opportunities (23%)
15. What else? We‘re looking for...
More members!
Expanding YP members in different stakeholder groups
Increasing institutional linkages
More young professionals driving the process – ideas
coming from a local level
More dynamic online discussions
More young faces and voices at key ARD debates
Innovative and youth led ARD!
What is YPARD Why YPARD? youth are often doing a lot of the work but not getting adequate recognition and their voice and key concerns are not heard nor taken into consideration. ‘Silent’ performers; passive participants Limited access to trainings, meetings aor attending conferences like this one. It’s not always easy for youths to speak up in their organisations, to give their viewpoint, to ask questions or to voice their concerns. YPARD can help to allow them to discuss these issues with other youth are the key stakeholders for the sustainability of the ARD arena
Youth are an asset and yet they are often viewed as inexperienced and unable to contribute to discussions. They provide new ways of thinking and enable us to question our current methods. enthusiastic, open and frank, at ease with change and complexity, have good computer literacy, build collaboration and partnerships and tend to reject traditional hierarchical and inter-institutional relationships Youth often not selected to attend meetings and workshops due to their inexperience
Ageing with several issues related to countries with hiring freezes, which leads to a lack of mentorship for new people coming into the organisation. We thus, need to support our young staff and not to lose the knowledge and experience. We need to look at how to engage young people in this area and work with them to ensure that there is interest for the future as well.