Needs Assessment for developing capacity for improved aquatic resource development in Africa (NACARDA)
About the project
UK-registered Partner: University of Stirling – Alexandra Pounds
Africa-registered Partner: Machakos University – Dr Patricia Muendo
NACARDA conducted an assessment of training and education needs in Sub- Saharan African aquaculture. An important goal was to give voice to actors in the sector, including those from industry, academia, NGO and government. Our key findings were:
- Respondents expressed a strong need for more practical experience among potential employees, more short-courses accessible to current employees, and more training on finance, business & entrepreneurship;
- Respondents attributed their current career success to previous work experience and mentors;
- Responses indicated that mobile-accessible IT resources are critical for communication and learning across sectors and roles.
In light of these results, a second survey was conducted to characterise mentorship relationships. The goal of this was to inform development agencies, universities, and industry on ways to better support mentorship relationships. The main findings were:
- Most mentorship relationships were formal, with many originating as student- teacher relationships;
- Mentors mainly help with technical, business, and financial topics, indicating that specific experience of the aquaculture sector was essential;
- Because mentors are driven by enjoyment of mentoring, mentee feedback on outcomes is important to fuel altruism;
- Institutional support was important for facilitating mentorship relationships.