PINOTAGE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY
Based on the Foundation's pioneering youth development model,
the Pinotage Youth Development Academy runs 10-month programmes
for unemployed 18- to 25-year-old South Africans resident in the Cape Winelands
Wine programme and beyond
The South African wine sector, with its related streams of hospitality and tourism, provided an excellent opportunity to launch the Foundation's first Youth Development Academy.
In selecting this industry, the Foundation's trustees were mindful of the industry being :
-
an important contributor to GDP, as well as a major employer
-
based in a region where youth unemployment is high
-
associated with a high level of skills and technical expertise
-
a business sector committed to transformation
-
aligned with the Government’s commitment to job creation within the agricultural sector
The Stellenbosch-based Pinotage Youth Development Academy opened its doors to 25 students in the Western Cape in June 2013. The 12-month curriculum was based on the Academy’s core model of personal development, intertwined with classroom learning and practical experience of the full wine value chain, from the vineyard through to the tasting room. This programme has run continuously ever since, with class sizes ranging from 25-30 each year, and programmes now 10 months long, with students drawn from the Stellenbosch/Paarl/Franschhoek triangle.
The results underline the success of the model...
Student retention:
Since its launch in 2013, the student retention rate averages 95%, comparing favourably with a national drop-out rate for students from similar backgrounds in tertiary education typically between 60-70%. Those few students who have not completed the course have been excluded on disciplinary grounds.
Graduate employment:
Across all classes to date, over 85% of graduates remain either in meaningful employment or in further education.
With the on-going support of the Foundation, the Pinotage Youth Development Academy continues to build on its successes, with more than 600 young poeple having completed its programmes to date.
 |  |  |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |