PONICS VET – Hydroponics Agricultural Technician

The project aims to develop the profile of the hydroponics expert applying the ECVET system to facilitate the recognition and transfer of learning outcomes. Apply specific learning path design and content development. The project is aimed at young farmers wishing to expand their knowledge of traditional agricultural techniques, thus improving their employability and improving production in a sustainable manner.

GOALS

General objectives:

• The project aims to achieve the objectives of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020), including the relevant indicators for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and its main objectives in the field of education and employment through better market integration of labor, especially in the agricultural sector, aims to improve jobs in the food industry, food retailing and food services.

Specific objectives:

• The project aims at transparency and recognition of skills and qualifications; ECVET for hydroponics and aquaponics expert will facilitate job finding and mobility.
• Improving access to learning and qualifications for all, with particular attention to the low-skilled, through continuing VET, in particular by increasing access to continuing VET, validating non-formal and informal learning, promoting workplace learning, ensuring effective and integrated guidance services and flexible and permeable learning paths
• Developing competences in vocational and adult learning, helping to improve food production as well as creating jobs for EU farmers
• Intervention in sustainable lifestyles, achieving Europe 2020 training targets for responsible citizens
• Application of ECVET for vocational training and adult education in the fields of agriculture aimed at rural development.

It allows farmers to be trained on topics such as innovative and economically, socially and environmentally sustainable practices.

The main target audience of this project is:

• Farmers coming from rural and suburban areas, from SMEs or individuals.

The other indirect target group of the project are students from technical and vocational schools to improve their employability skills, all private and public entities involved in the sustainable agricultural sector at the local level.

ACTIVITIES

In particular, the target group will participate in the following activities:

• Survey of the target group and comparison with the national situation regarding hydroponics and aquaponics knowledge
• A specific training course will be built from the above results
• Pilot test for special training needs and ECVET implementation (3 months)
• Multiplication events together with the help of organizations promoting VET (at the end of the project).

The final scope is to engage all the different actors of the territory in sustainable agriculture, aimed specifically at spreading the importance of hydroponics and aquaponics techniques and the general skill requirements given by ECVET applied to the role of hydroponics and aquaponics expert, with bottom-up implementation of strategies that start from the territory to farmers and students of agriculture and the most important affiliation.

In addition to this, validation of the quality of the project activities will be carried out at the end of each one and at the end of the project.

EXPECTED RESULTS

• Organizing campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of hydroponics and aquaponics systems;
• Organization and conduct of training courses for experts in hydroponics and aquaponics together with preparation of the methodology of the professional profile and content;
• Developing guidelines on how to become an expert in hydroponics and aquaponics;
• ECVET for hydroponics and aquaponics expert.

Partners