Train the Trainer for a Sustainable Agriculture

Building upon the experiences made with the earlier project AgriSkills (www.agriskills.eu), this project proposal aims at making trainers more aware of the relevance of sustainability for agriculture. Besides innovative concepts of vocational training for sustainable development, there is a need for stronger emphasis on sustainability in agriculture. It is not planned to produce additional new content, but rather to develop thinking in terms of sustainability as an integral part and underlying theme in vocational and private behavior alike.

The aim and focus of our project is the implementation of learning for sustainable development in the training of vocational instructors (teachers at vocational schools and company in-house trainers) in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and related areas by the development of curricula on school and company level. Further education programs and a strategy for broad dissemination shall also lead to advanced and ongoing discussions on the implementation of “Vocational Education and Training for Sustainable Development” (VETSD) in educational structures.

For this purpose, special programs for further education will be created. They will be available for teachers and trainers on an individual basis thus strengthening the learning place cooperation between schools and company in-house training.

A guideline VETSD for both, participants and as a basis for a wider qualified discussion at structural level on VETSD is planned.

The dissemination of results is achieved by various multiplier events as well as by the associated partners. The results will be available on the project website www.agri-train.eu and on the websites of the partner organizations.

In the preparatory phase training and continuing education for in-school and in-company trainers in the partner countries are analysed, in particular with respect to the embedding of aspects of sustainability. In the implementation phase this demand analysis also serves as an orientation aid for ranking curricula according to European standards (EQF).

In a strategic partnership with universities and colleges, a chamber of Agriculture, Workers Union affiliated Educational Institution, a company the following two intellectual outputs will be generated:

I.O. 1 – Curriculum – Training for Trainer in the Field of Sustainable Development

Exemplary development of three modules of further-education for trainer with the following topical foci:

• soil science
• water management
• health and safety

All three modules are to meet “VSTD” criteria and will be developed along the lines of “regular” curricular teaching content.

The modules will include the development of employability skills, will employ a set of diverse teaching and learning methods, and will make extensive use of state-of-the art information and communication technologies.

Agriculture is very much shaped by European regulations. The impacts of these regulations have to be integrated into education and training. For this purpose, innovative approaches will be developed in cooperation with the partners.

I.O. 2 – Guideline for Vocational Training in the Area of Sustainable Development

Guidelines are to be developed in order to facilitate the comprehensive dissemination of (VETSD) educational materials and intentions.

The guideline is based on the development of a strategic vision on VETSD  within the project. This vision of VETSD is to reflect and delineate the contentual positioning of sustainable development and agriculture and will also be the basis of a checklist that provides orientation concerning the integration of aspects of sustainability in teaching- and learning materials in the project.

The guidelines are intended for school and in-house instructors and for the dissemination of VETSD among the stakeholders.

Trainings

The modules of continuing education and the guideline will be tested trans-nationally in short-term training modules. The tests will be evaluated and the data and insights provide a basis for final revision of curricula.

Target-groups

Instructors (in-house and school) from the fields of agriculture, horticulture and related sectors.

Indirect: trainees in the fields of agriculture and horticulture and related vocational areas, who participate in further education programmes.

Dissemination strategy

The various multiplier events will generate new aspects (training of trainers, European context) to enhance the discussions about VETSD at the systemic level. In cooperation with national and European social partners, it is intended to influence training regulations and programmes in the long term.

The results of the project will be published electronically and in print-media.

In addition, results will be disseminated:

• on local level by offering educational modules
• on regional and national level by discussions and events and
• on European level by all the discussions in the committees the social partners are part of.