Quick Skills Programmes

The resources and certification service for these programmes are provided free of charge.

Quick Skills programmes were developed to standardise short learning programmes for workers.

These programmes can be facilitated by any person with the necessary knowledge about the subject at hand, including farm/packhouse technical staff, consultants, extension officers, skills development providers.

Course information

Citrus Grading

Learn the export market standards for all citrus types, understand grading methods and equipment, understand the guidelines for sorting & grading, and the selection and testing of graders.

Citrus Planting

Learn about tools and equipment for citrus planting, planting preparation - soil preparation & plant material; the importance of planting conditions; correct planting procedures; and young tree care.

Citrus Harvesting Practices and Supervision

Learn about the role of the Picking Supervisor, the need & requirements for personal hygiene, picking equipment, prescribed picking practices, and final procedures after harvesting. Learn about harvesting instructions, the assessment of picking conditions, picking teams, picking equipment & containers, PPE, adherence to quality control, and transport to packhouses.

Citrus Pruning

Learn about pruning equipment & use; equipment maintenance; pruning practices; pruning actions; pruning procedures; and equipment sterilisation & storage.

Citrus Monitoring and Inspection for Phytosanitary Markets

Learn about monitoring and inspection for phytosanitary markets - specifically False Codling Moth and Fruit Fly; orchard monitoring procedures; packhouse processes; and packhouse online grading.

Citrus Safe Handling of Agrochemicals

Learn about general safety; OHAS; PPE; prevention of contamination; emergency procedures; storage; application principles - methods & mixing; calibration & cleaning of equipment; and recordkeeping.

Citrus Orchard Sanitation

Learn about orchard hygiene; postharvest diseases; sanitation practices & procedures; and the disposal of waste fruit.

Citrus Scouting

Learn about scouting basics - tools, forms, data trees; blemish factor analysis; the various citrus pests; preventive & corrective pest control.

How do we sign up?

The Citrus Academy provides the facilitator with a video and PowerPoint presentation that can be used during the facilitation of the programme. Please note that these resources are only available in English, we encourage facilitators to translate and explain the content in mother tongue if necessary.

The Citrus Academy furthermore provides an assessment guide that each learner needs to complete. The assessment guides have been developed to be accessible to learners with low English literacy levels. In most cases some activities in the assessment require a practical demonstration of the learnt skills, which the facilitator or supervisor must sign off.

The completed assessment guides are returned, preferably electronically, to the Citrus Academy along with copies of learner IDs.

If all is in order, the Citrus Academy will issue a Certificate of Completion for each learner.

To make use of a Quick Skills programme, please do as follows:

Visit the Quick Skills (QSPs) Programme Registration page to register a new programme, with the details of the programme, facilitator, training site and number of learners.

Once registered on the website, the facilitator will receive the learning material (videos, assessment guides and logbooks) as well as a registration form to complete with all the attendees details.

The facilitator must complete the attendees registration form and send that, along with clear copies of the attendees IDs to the CA via email.

The facilitator must print hard, colour copies of the assessment guides to provide to the attendees who will complete the guides after the presentation of the course. The facilitator must then send these completed guides to the CA via email.

The assessment guides will be assessed by the CA and if completed successfully, the CA will provide those attendees with a Certificate of Completion which will be sent to the facilitator via email to print and provide to the attendees.

Course facilitators must be identified before the registration process.

Please note that the assessment guides will only be effective if printed in full colour and only colour printed guides will be accepted for assessment and the subsequent issue of the certificate.