TRAINING PATHS IN ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURE FOR SMALL ENTERPRISES ES/03/B/F/PP

The goal of the project is to develop training paths and material for training of workers and producers in ecological production methods, following three main steps: 1.Research on the agricultural sector in general and on ecological agriculture; research on the most relevant professions (socio-economic and skills analysis); research and definition of training needs. 2.Development of training paths and materials. 3.Validation of the results, both internal (through a series of pilot training activities) and external, by a final seminar.

PARTNERS The partnership is composed by: TECHNICAL partners. Responsible for developing the research. POLITICAL partners. They will assure that the results and products will answer to the needs of the professionals they represent. ACADEMIC partner. Will assure that the project is developed following scientific criteria and help the promoter in the definition and elaboration of research tools. Partners are: UPA Spain Political partner and promoter. INIPA Spain Political partner. IFES Spain Technical partner and coordinator. Amadeus Austria Technical partner. BFW Germany Technical partner. Biocert Italy Technical partner LRF Sweden Technical partner Escola Superior Agrária Ponte de Lima Portugal Technical partner. MIDE Department Spain Academic partner.

MAIN PHASES AND WORKING PACKAGES (1) The project has three main Parts : research, development and validation. Each part is divided in Phases, and each phase in Working Packages. Part 1 – RESEARCH Phase I – Determination of the research field. WP 1 – Initial Meeting. Phase II – Socio – economical analysis of the sector. WP 2 – National analysis. WP 3 – Comparative analysis WP 4 – Interim meeting Phase III – Socio – economical analysis of professional profiles WP 5 – National Analysis WP 6 – Comparative Analysis Phase IV – Skills and competencies analysis. WP 7 – National Analysis. WP 8 – Comparative Analysis. WP 9 – Interim meeting. Phase V – Training need analysis. WP 10 – National Analysis WP 11 – Comparative Analysis WP 12 – Interim meeting WP 13 – Interim dissemination action

MAIN PHASES AND WORKING PACKAGES (2) Part 2 – DEVELOPMENT Phase VI – Elaboration of training paths and materials WP 14 – Elaboration of paths. WP 15 – Elaboration of training materials WP 16 – Interim meeting Part 3 – VALIDATION Phase VII – Internal validation WP 17 – Development of experimental training actions. Phase VIII – External validation (Final dissemination) WP 18 – Final dissemination action. WP 19 – Final meeting

GOALS OF EACH PHASE (1) Phase I – Determination of the research field. In this initial meeting, we will have to discuss on: The notion of ecological agriculture. Determination of sub – sectors to be analysed. Determination of the productions to be analysed. The goal: establish the research field. Phase II – Socio-economic analysis of the sector. A national series of analysis, and then a transnational analysis on the agricultural sector, and the sub sectors will be to be developed. The goal: determine the potential development of ecological production methods in those sub – sectors, attending to the growing trends in them. Phase III – Profiles analysis. National and transnational analysis of social, economical, labour and training issues in the profiles analysed. The goal: analyse professional profiles for which the training devices will be developed. Phase IV – Competencies and Skills within each profile In this phase profiles will be analysed from the skills and competencies point of view. The goal: establish the framework in which the training devices will have to be developed.

GOALS OF EACH PHASE (2) Phase V – Training need analysis. Keeping in mind the professional profile defined in its competencies and skills, we’ll have to analyse the existing training devices in the national systems. The goal: to determine which competencies are NOT covered by existing devices, to determine the CONTENTS of our training devices. Phase VI – Elaboration of training paths and material. We will elaborate a training path + materials for each profile, plus a common training path and material on use of ITC. The goal: this is the main product of the project. Phase VII – Experimental training actions. Partners will develop training actions using the devices developed in the project. The goal: to validate “internally” the results and products of the project. Phase VIII – Final dissemination A final dissemination action will be held to show the complete results of the project. The goal: to show and validate “externally” the results of our project.