EU CAP Network’ seminar on skills and lifelong learning for agricultural advisory and training service providers

Advisors, training providers, researchers, representatives of relevant projects and Managing Authorises gathered at the event. They exchanged knowledge and identified good practices as well as effective training methods and tools for advisors and others to deliver the required skills for the agricultural sector. In total 120 participants from 26 Member States and North Macedonia participated. 

The seminar with its unique mix of inspirational presentations and interactive sessions was designed to improve the quality and attractiveness of training to agriculture actors. It will support Member States in delivering knowledge to farmers and advisors across Europe. 

The event organisers highlighted the importance of farmers’ skills development and the role of holistic, tailored and demand-driven advice and training. Also, the interaction of skills provision with the whole Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System (AKIS) was emphasised: knowledge flows between the various AKIS actors are key for building the right skills.  

To achieve the above objectives, the programme of the seminar was divided into 3 thematic parts devoted to:  

• exploring existing and new methods and tools for effective training and provision of skills. The outcome of this session was a list of essential training techniques, their success factors and possibilities for improvements; 

• enhancing the attractiveness of lifelong learning for advisors, trainers, farmers and foresters. Participants looked for ways of making training achievable, intriguing, timely, meaningful, empowering and social to keep the interest and attention of learners; 

• showcasing opportunities and support through inspiring ‘how to’ examples from common agricultural policy and other EU instruments. A presentation on EU measures supporting advisory and training services as well as poster session featuring Horizon related projects were important elements of that session. Based on information from the plenary and on their own experience, participants in groups created a map of actors and projects/initiatives/instruments relevant to skills and training indicating linkages and gaps between them. 

The seminar was very successful, gathering a diverse group of participants with a broad knowledge of advisory and training. If you are interested in its outcomes, please visit https://eu-cap-network.ec.europa.eu/events/eu-cap-network-seminar-skills-and-lifelong-learning-agricultural-advisory-and-training_en