Vocational Education and Training in Agricultural and Economic Sustainability for Agricultural MSEs
▶Summary
The project aimed to increase the number of lands transitioning to sustainable agriculture. It targeted two specific objectives: 1) enhancing agricultural Micro and Small Enterprises' (MSE) knowle...
▶Objectives
The project aimed to increase the number of lands transitioning to sustainable agriculture. It targeted two specific objectives: 1) enhancing agricultural Micro and Small Enterprises' (MSE) knowledge on climate actions and environmental protection, and 2) developing skills for MSEs to economically implement sustainable practices. The project sought to achieve results like improving MSEs' expertise on land use and business management. It also focused on strengthening international networks, improving project management experience, and sharing new vocational education practices. By aligning with the European Commission's 'Farm to Fork' strategy, the project saw the transition to sustainable food systems as an economic opportunity, emphasizing the need for vocational education to meet market demands. This project prioritized enhancing access to vocational training for both sustainable agriculture and financial sustainability, ensuring flexibility to cater to micro and small-sized agricultural enterprises. Ultimately, the project aimed to empower MSEs to embrace sustainability, access EU funds, and adapt to market dynamics effectively.
▶Activities
Project management ensured effective implementation. Regular communication and three online plenary sessions with committees coordinated tasks. Guidelines set during kick-off meetings were followed. Communication and Dissemination - despite comprehensive dissemination efforts, attracting participants to the course proved challenging. Wide-reaching channels like social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram), local news stations and other technical channels were used. Regarding the two vocational educational trainings focused on Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Sustainability, both were implemented successfully by the three partners and included weekly online training sessions between November 2023 and February 2024. All phases mentioned in the proposal were implemented, including case studies and need analysis; and the development of training materials for all the training sessions. In fact, after surveying the target audience (micro enterprises and medium-sized enterprises in the agricultural sector) it was clear that it would be better to divide the training into weekly sessions, online. Near the project ending, two exchange workshops happened in Romania and Portugal.
▶Impact
- Production of one Course Manual (including content about Sustainable Agriculture and Economic Sustainability) and several Training materials (including presentations and practical tools). - Total course’s participation of 83 participants with an average of 75% participants attending each session, which validates the quality of the sessions and the interest from the participants in the topic shared. - 100% of participants improved their knowledge on the course’s topics and, at the end, at least 51 participants were able to answer at least 80% of the questions of the knowledge survey. - 2 international workshops implemented with a total of 21 participants, from the 3 countries of the partners. - 1 Whatsapp group (“Agereco Alumni”), with 15 active members, created autonomously by the participants to continue sharing experiences and good practices after the course and international workshops. Additional work groups in each country. - 97 publications in different social media platforms, 13 news articles published online and 1 Television segment, potentially reaching over 200.000 people (two hundred thousand). - Valuable networks and important friendships developed between the participants that remain active until today.