Vocational Education Paths

Here are My 8 tips for the Agri-Campus students to build rewarding career & successful roadmap in the Agri-Industry. In my Agri-Business campus talks at various B-schools, Have been asked multiple times on the career advice for the young talent to grow in the Agri-Industry. Here are 8 career roadmap tips based on my cross-functional Agri-Industry expertise across Sales, Marketing, Agri -Consulting, Social sector development & Ag-Tech industry. Unlike, FMCG sector, Agri-sector requires a TECHNO-COMMERCIAL MANAGERS, a right blend of subject matter/technical expertise & commercial skills/business acumen.   Here’s a roadmap for young talent to excel in this industry: 1. Build Strong Technical Knowledge Understand agronomy, soil health, crop cycles, and climate impact on different geographies. Stay updated on fertilizer formulations, pesticide application science, and seed genetics to provide value to farmers. 2. Learn the Business Side of Agri-Inputs Agriculture is highly price-sensitive, so understanding product pricing, cost structures, and profitability is crucial. Learn about distribution models—how companies reach farmers through dealers, retailers, and digital platforms. 3. Spend Time in the Field The best insights come from interacting with farmers, dealers, and retailers. Understanding regional cropping patterns and challenges will set you apart from those who rely only on theoretical knowledge. 4. Embrace Digital & Technological Advancements Precision farming, drone-based spraying, AI-driven crop advisory, and digital agri-platforms are reshaping the industry. Agri-tech is not just for startups; large corporations are investing in it, so tech-savvy professionals will have an edge. 5. Develop Strong Sales & Relationship Management Skills Be proactive in training and educating farmers and channel partners about the value proposition of your products. Networking with KOLs Key Opinion Leaders—progressive farmers, agri-influencers and university researchers—can accelerate your career. 6. Be Adaptable & Open to New Challenges The industry is evolving, with consolidation, mergers, and changing trade dynamics. Be ready to switch between roles— sales to product management to marketing to operations—to gain a well-rounded perspective. 7. Seek Mentorship & Continuous Learning Learning from senior professionals and industry leaders can provide invaluable insights. Take up certifications in agronomy, sales leadership, and data analytics to stay relevant. Engage in industry conferences and Agri exhibitions  8. Think Beyond Just Selling-Create Impact Instead of just pushing products, focus on long-term farm productivity and sustainability. Align yourself with farmer advisory services, extension programs, and digital agri-solutions to contribute meaningfully.  Is young talent ready to mold into TECHNO-COMMERCIAL MANAGERS in this Agri-industry? Do Share your perspectives to guide the young talent here  #AgCareerRoadmap #AgriCareerTips #AgFuturePositive

After creating my software development roadmap, I wanted to share a straightforward path for those starting their journey: 1. Start with Python as your first programming language. It's versatile and beginner-friendly. 2. Move on to web development basics: HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This will give you a solid foundation in front-end technologies. 3. Learn a web framework like Django (Python-based) to understand back-end development. 4. Dive into database management, starting with SQL (MySQL or PostgreSQL). 5. Get comfortable with version control using Git and GitHub. 6. Study data structures and algorithms - crucial for problem-solving and interviews. 7. Explore cloud basics with AWS or Azure. 8. Learn about containerization with Docker. 9. Pick up DevOps practices and continuous integration/deployment concepts. 10. Throughout this journey, work on your soft skills like problem-solving, communication, and time management. 11. Build projects and contribute to open-source to apply your skills practically. 12. Start applying for internships or junior developer positions to gain real-world experience. Remember, this path isn't set in stone. Adjust based on your interests and industry demands. The key is consistent learning and practice. What has your learning path looked like?

As colleges struggle to connect between school and work, advising usually gets written off. But new evidence from our study with Georgia State University National Institute for Student Success suggests the opposite: when done right, advising can shape long-term career outcomes. The Burning Glass Institute tracked the long-term careers of 23,000 Georgia State grads who had participated in a student success program, including proactive advising, and compared them with peers. Participants experienced stronger earnings outcomes, faster advancement into management, and greater alignment between their degree and their eventual career. And the effects were strongest for those who received multiple coordinated supports. Even more striking: Pell-eligible students who accessed multiple supports ultimately outperformed their non-Pell peers in career outcomes. Three broader implications stand out: 1. Advising only works when it is systematic. The Georgia State model pairs analytics with human intervention, using real-time data to identify when students are off track and trigger targeted support. The technology matters, but the staffing and institutional commitment matter just as much.   2. The real payoff is not just completion—it’s trajectory. Much of the conversation around student success focuses on graduation rates. But the more consequential question is what happens after the degree. When advising integrates academic pathways with career insight, it can influence how students translate education into opportunity.   3. The “school-to-work” problem may be partly an institutional design problem. If advising is treated as a marginal student service, its impact will be marginal. But when institutions treat it as infrastructure—connecting curriculum, skills, and career pathways—it becomes a powerful bridge between learning and labor markets. For a sector searching for ways to strengthen the college-to-career pipeline, this is an important reminder: Advising isn’t just about helping students graduate. At its best, it helps them navigate toward opportunity. You can find the report "Programs That Make a Difference" at: https://lnkd.in/dHK3b4pi Thank you to Burning Glass Institute colleagues Cecilia Joy Perez, Olivia Gunther, Daniel Sexton, Aditya R., and Carlo Salerno for their work on this report, as well as to our partners at Georgia State University’s National Institute for Student Success: Timothy M. Renick, Mackenzie DeForest, M.S, Benjamin Brandon, and Priscilla Moreno Bell, Ph.D. #education #careers #highereducation #collegesanduniversities

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝗚𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Everyone in medical cannabis talks about GACP and EU GMP, and rightly so. These certifications are essential for market access, especially in Europe. But what rarely gets discussed is what underpins those standards operationally. That’s where ISO certifications come in, and far too many facilities are overlooking them. If you’re serious about building a compliant, credible, and resilient operation, you need more than just agricultural and pharmaceutical certifications. You need a solid systems backbone. Here are three ISO standards every facility should implement alongside GACP and EU GMP: 𝟭. 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟵𝟬𝟬𝟭 – Quality Management Systems Provides the operational framework for consistency, traceability, and continual improvement. It is the engine that keeps your compliance running. 𝟮. 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟮𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 – Food Safety Management (or ISO 13485 for medical devices) Crucial for ingestible or therapeutic products. It covers hazard analysis, traceability, and food-grade production, a must for serious export markets. 𝟯. 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟭𝟰𝟬𝟬𝟭 – Environmental Management Systems Demonstrates responsible use of resources, reduced environmental impact, and commitment to ESG performance, increasingly demanded by investors. 𝟰. 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟮𝟳𝟬𝟬𝟭 – Information Security Management Essential for safeguarding sensitive data, including patient information, genetic IP, and commercial contracts. As data security becomes a global regulatory requirement, ISO 27001 signals maturity, trustworthiness, and operational discipline. Additional ISO certifications worth considering include: • 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟭𝟳𝟬𝟮𝟱 – for credible, validated lab testing • 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟰𝟱𝟬𝟬𝟭 – to protect worker health and safety • 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟱𝟬𝟬𝟬𝟭 – for managing energy use and efficiency • 𝗜𝗦𝗢 𝟯𝟭𝟬𝟬𝟬 – for structured risk management across the enterprise Larger pharmaceutical distributors and institutional buyers are no longer willing to take chances on underdeveloped supply chains. They require suppliers who operate with transparency, discipline, and documented systems. ISO certification is one of the strongest signals that your facility is not just licensed, but built for serious, long-term business. GACP and EU GMP tell you what to achieve. ISO tells you how to achieve it, maintain it, and prove it. If you’re building or upgrading a facility, do it properly, with the ISO layer built in from the start. Investors, regulators, and global partners will take note. #MedicalCannabis #Compliance #GACP #EUGMP #ISO9001 #ISO22000 #ISO14001 #ISO17025 #ISO45001 #ISO50001 #ISO27001 #ISO31000 #CannabisIndustry #UKCannabis #CannabisConsulting #OperationalExcellence #RegulatedMarkets #PharmaCannabis #CannabisExport

South Africa’s youth unemployment rate (Q1 2025) stands at a staggering 62.4% – by far the highest among major economies. Compare this to India (15%), the UK (12.2%), or Japan (3.9%), and the scale of our challenge becomes clear. But the problem isn’t just a “𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐣𝐨𝐛𝐬.” 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dNJiTS4A Research shows it’s a 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 and 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 crisis: 📌 Habiyaremye (2022) demonstrates that soft skills like problem-solving, networking, and leadership have a greater impact on employability than technical training alone. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/de4eTA_Q 📌 Morsy & Mukasa (2019) highlight widespread skills mismatches, where graduates are overeducated but underskilled for real market needs. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dr--Mpzg 📌 Öhlmann (2022) and de Jongh et al. (2024) show how race, geography, and lack of social capital leave millions of young South Africans locked out of opportunity. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dVxPu7Vu 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dzYnWmTR 📌 Ebrahim (2025) finds that employer incentives (e.g., payroll tax credits) can nudge companies to hire youth. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dmhyEDbp 👉 What does this mean for South Africa’s tertiary education strategy? We must shift from a supply-driven model (producing graduates) to a demand-driven model (producing employable, adaptable talent). That requires: ✅ Embedding work-integrated learning and apprenticeships into every qualification. ✅ Aligning curricula to growth sectors like ICT, advanced manufacturing & green economy. ✅ Elevating TVETs and dual education systems to equal status with universities. ✅ Incentivising entrepreneurship and linking graduates to procurement ecosystems. ✅ Building digital platforms that connect students directly to employers. South Africa’s universities, TVETs, government, and industry must come together to co-create pathways that bridge learning and work. Visual credit: Trade Brains https://lnkd.in/dBQ-8unJ #SouthAfrica #YouthUnemployment #HigherEducation #SkillsDevelopment #TVET #FutureOfWork #PolicyReform #InclusiveGrowth

The United States has long thrived because of the talent, ingenuity, and productivity of its people. But today, rapid technological change, demographic shifts, and fragmented education and workforce systems are testing our ability to prepare Americans for opportunity in the decades ahead. That’s why I’m proud to have served as a commissioner on the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Commission on the American Workforce, which this week released a new report: “A Nation at Risk to a Nation at Work: The Case for a National Talent Strategy.” The report makes a simple but urgent point: the U.S. lacks a coherent national strategy for developing talent—even as we invest more than $250 billion annually across more than 150 federal education and workforce programs. The result is a system that is too often disconnected from the realities of today’s economy and the needs of learners, workers, and employers. Our commission calls for a comprehensive national talent strategy built around stronger coordination across federal agencies, better data on skills and workforce needs, and deeper partnerships with states, educators, and employers. For those of us focused on postsecondary learning, several recommendations stand out: • Strengthening pathways from education to employment, including clearer alignment between credentials and workforce demand. • Expanding access to high-quality short-term credentials and work-based learning, helping learners build skills throughout their careers. • Improving data and transparency so students, institutions, and policymakers can better understand which programs lead to strong outcomes. • Creating a more coherent federal approach that connects postsecondary education, workforce programs, and lifelong learning. The message is clear: preparing Americans for the future of work requires a system designed for lifelong learning, mobility, and opportunity. I’m grateful to have had another opportunity to work with my friend, colleague, and BPC President Margaret Spellings and to have benefitted from the wisdom and leadership of an outstanding bipartisan group of leaders on this commission—co-chaired by former Governors Bill Haslam and Deval Patrick. Special thanks to Cheryl Oldham and the team at the Bipartisan Policy Center for their inspiring work and for truly doing the heavy lifting. Their leadership, thoughtfulness, and commitment to pragmatic solutions made this effort possible. The challenge before us is significant—but so is the opportunity. With the right strategy, we can better connect education to opportunity and ensure that America’s chief asset—its people—remains our greatest competitive advantage. Read the report: https://lnkd.in/gcArDnFt

“Not Every Farmer Owns a Farm — and That’s Okay.” One of the biggest misconceptions people still have about agriculture is that to be a farmer, you must own land. But the truth is this: Agriculture is an entire ecosystem… not just a farmland. Owning land is just one path, not the only path, not even the most common one anymore. One of the problems youths in Agriculture face includes limited access to land so today I would be talking about other ways one can contribute to the value chain without owning a farm. Today’s agricultural sector is built by people working across multiple value chains, solving problems, driving innovation, and making food systems work from production to consumption. Here’s the reality we don’t emphasize enough 👇🏽 1. You can work in Agriculture without planting a single seed. People in logistics move food from farmers to markets. People in processing turn raw produce into value-added products. People in marketing help agribusinesses find customers. People in research develop better seeds. People in extension train farmers. People in finance provide funding and micro-credit. People in tech build apps that help millions of farmers. All these people are in agriculture. All of them are farmers in their own way. 2. Land ownership is a privilege, not a requirement. The price of land is rising. Many young people can barely afford rent, not to talk of acres. But does that mean they can’t work in agriculture? Absolutely not. You can build a solid, profitable agricultural career without owning a single plot of land. 3. Agriculture today needs more SKILLS than land. We need: • agronomists • supply chain managers • quality control officers • environmental consultants • farm data analysts • agro-input suppliers • digital agriculture strategists • farm managers • policy advocates • climate-smart specialists The food sector is too big to limit yourself to one corner. 4. Hands-on experience + Non-farm experience = POWERFUL. Being in agriculture doesn’t mean you must farm. But it also doesn’t mean you should stay far from the farm. Even if you are working in agribusiness, value chain management, sustainability, finance, processing, or data analysis — basic hands-on knowledge of farming gives you an edge. It makes your work more grounded and your decisions more practical. 5. The future of agriculture belongs to multi-skilled people. People who understand farming AND understand business. People who understand production AND understand markets. People who can mix field knowledge WITH technical skills. Those are the people who will lead the future of food. So here’s the message: If you don’t own land, you didn’t fail. If you’re not “planting something,” you’re not behind. If your path in agriculture looks different from others, that’s completely fine. Agriculture is broad enough to carry all of us. Don’t limit yourself. Your place in the food system is valid,!even without a farm. Shalom💚

This post will give you the best advice on coding I’ve learned after coding continuously for 3652+ days (and all you need to do is just spend 3 minutes reading) 1️⃣ Pick one tech stack Jumping between languages and frameworks slows your progress. Master one stack first (e.g., Python + Flask, JavaScript + React, Java + Spring Boot). Build projects using that stack instead of doing endless tutorials. Real-world coding teaches more than theoretical learning. If you're struggling to pick one, go with JavaScript (React for frontend, Node.js for backend) or Python (Django/Flask), both are in high demand. 2️⃣ Learn DSA (but don’t overdo it) Focus on the core concepts: arrays, linked lists, trees, graphs, stack, dynamic programming, and recursion. Competitive programming is not a requirement for becoming a great developer, building and understanding scalable systems is more important. Solve 100-150 LeetCode problems max. After that, shift to system design and hands-on projects. Prioritize real-world applications of algorithms rather than grinding for months. 3️⃣ Build & ship real projects early Tutorials give structured learning, but projects teach problem-solving and debugging. Choose a problem you care about and build something useful, whether it's a portfolio, a task manager, or a fun API. Start small: A simple CRUD app beats a half-finished AI project. Open-source contributions and hackathons can help bridge the gap between learning and real-world development. 4️⃣ Read documentation before asking for help Google,Stack Overflow, Docs are a developer’s best friends. Instead of asking, “Why isn’t my code working?”, debug by checking logs, error messages, and official docs. Being resourceful will make you stand out at work, senior devs value people who try before they ask. 5️⃣ Learn SQL & backend basics Most real-world apps need databases—knowing SQL, API development, and authentication is crucial. Even if you're focused on front end, learning how data is stored, retrieved, and optimized will make you a 10x better engineer. Backend devs: Learn PostgreSQL or MongoDB + an API framework like Express.js (Node), Flask (Python), or Spring Boot (Java). Try building a full-stack project to see how the frontend and backend connect. 6️⃣ Learn how to debug Debugging is 50% of real-world coding, not writing new features. Don’t randomly change code until it works. Use breakpoints, print statements, and logging tools to trace the issue. Understand stack traces, memory leaks, and database query performance, this will save you hours of frustration. Develop a habit of breaking problems down logically before diving into fixes. The best way to improve? Write more code, break things, and fix them. Do you agree?

The art and science of learning analyzed- • Pedagogy: teacher-directed, often used with younger learners. • Andragogy (Malcolm Knowles): learner-centered adult education. • Heutagogy (Hase & Kenyon, 2000): self-determined learning—focused on capability, not just competency. Heutagogy emphasizes: • autonomy • nonlinear exploration • reflection and adaptability • learning how to learn AME takes heutagogy further by rooting it in neuroscience, curiosity, and contribution. From Pedagogy to Heutagogy: AME’s Learning Revolution In traditional schools, pedagogy rules: the teacher leads, the student follows. In adult education, we shift to andragogy. But in Always Meaningful Education (AME), we go a step further: Heutagogy—self-determined, reflective, curiosity-driven learning. In AME: • Learners co-design their paths. • They explore what lights them up—and create something real with it. • Learning isn’t about performance; it’s about capability, contribution, and growth. This isn’t hypothetical. Since 2019, AME students have created museums, published books, launched restaurants, performed original theater, and delivered TED-style talks, among many other real world connections and contributions—all from their own inquiries. The future isn’t content recall. It’s adaptability, creativity, and the power to learn how to learn. AME isn’t just learner-centered. It’s learner-led. And that’s heutagogy in action.

“Train-the-trainers” (TTT) is one of the most common methods used to scale up improvement & change capability across organisations, yet we often fail to set it up for success. A recent article, drawing on teacher professional development & transfer-of-training research, argues TTT should always be based on an “offer-and-use” model: OFFER: what the programme provides—facilitator expertise, session design, practice opportunities, feedback, follow-up support & evaluation. USE: what participants do with those opportunities—what they notice, how they make sense of it, how much they engage, what they learn, & whether they apply it in real work. How to design TTT that works & sticks: 1. Design for real-world use: Clarify the practical outcome - what trainers should do differently in their next sessions & what that should improve for the organisation. Plan beyond the classroom with post-course support so people can apply learning. Space learning over time rather than delivering it in one intensive block, because spacing & follow-ups support sustained use. 2. Use strong facilitators: Select facilitators who know the topic & how adults learn, how groups work & how to give useful feedback. Ensure they teach “how to make this stick at work” (apply & sustain practices), not only “how to deliver a session.” 3. Make practice central: Build the programme around realistic rehearsal: deliver, get feedback, & practise again until skills become automatic. Use participants’ real scenarios (especially change situations) to strengthen transfer. Include safe practice for difficult moments (challenge, unexpected questions) & treat mistakes as learning. Build peer learning so participants learn with & from each other, not just the facilitator. 4. Prepare participants to succeed: Assess what participants already know & can do, then tailor the learning. Build confidence to use skills at work (confidence predicts application). Help each person create a simple, specific plan for when & how they will use the approaches in their next training sessions. 5. Ensure workplace transfer support: Enable quick application (opportunities to deliver training soon after the course), plus time & resources to do it well. Provide ongoing support (feedback, coaching, & encouragement) from leaders, peers &/or the wider organisation. 6. Evaluate what matters: Go beyond satisfaction scores - assess whether trainers changed their practice & whether this improved outcomes for learners & the organisation. Use findings to improve the next iteration as a continuous improvement cycle, not a one-off event. https://lnkd.in/eJ-Xrxwm. By Prof. Dr. Susanne Wisshak & colleagues, sourced via John Whitfield MBA