Bridging Skills Development and Agribusiness: Evaluating the Poultry Layer Programme at Gert Sibande TVET College

Youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most pressing economic and social challenges, with Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) colleges positioned as key institutions in the transition from education to employment. While TVET colleges aim to produce work-ready graduates, a persistent gap remains between theoretical instruction and practical application, particularly in agriculture-related programmes. To improve Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), youth enterprise incubation, and local agribusiness value-chain integration, this qualitative case study investigates the viability and educational value of starting a poultry layer enterprise at Gert Sibande TVET College's Driepoort farm (Perdekop, Mpumalanga). Through semi-structured interviews, document reviews, and site observations, the study gathered data from 15 stakeholders (10 students, 2 lecturers, 2 deputy principals, and 1 farm manager) using purposive sampling. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The findings indicate that Driepoort is an underutilised institutional asset, possessing sufficient land, water, and basic infrastructure; a strong and consistent local demand for eggs; a significant level of student interest in agribusiness; and institutional endorsement for an integrated training-to-enterprise model. The need for formal market links and technical mentorship, feed-cost volatility, capital requirements for housing and biosecurity, and inadequate operational coordination are some of the major obstacles that have been identified. The study shows that a phased implementation can improve local food security, produce various revenue streams (eggs, training fees, manure, and spent hens), and yield pedagogical benefits (1) through farm activation and curriculum integration, (2) through structured enterprise incubation for a chosen group of students, and (3) through value-addition and market expansion. The study concludes that a TVET-based layer enterprise is both economically feasible and educationally valuable as long as operational risks are reduced by strong governance, biosecurity procedures, and strategic alliances (such as feed supply agreements and offtake contracts). To ensure sustainability and scalability, the recommendations focus on establishing incubation pathways for student cooperatives, integrating production into assessment and WIL schedules, activating a Poultry Enterprise Centre of Practice, and securing technical and market partnerships.