Vocational Education and Training (VET) is crucial for all economic sectors, as it ensures skills development and new knowledge for professionals that can thrive in the labour market and cope effectively with rapid changes in their workplace. However, the agricultural sector lags behind in terms of VET offerings. In particular, the scope of interest is environmentally sustainable agriculture based on recent EU and international policies related to climate change and biodiversity protection. The professional training of farmers becomes a necessity, mainly in topics such as soil and biodiversity protection, sustainable use of resources (e.g. water) and food security. Providing education and training tailored to farmers, who are the real countryside managers, will empower them to adopt innovative and environmentally friendly practices, and to enhance their income using various financial instruments.
The project TakeOff: Translating new Approaches and Knowledge into EnvirOnmentally Friendly Farming, which was coordinated by the Open University of Cyprus (Terrestrial Ecosystems Management Lab, Professor Ioannis Vogiatzakis), in collaboration with the University of Milan Bicocca (Italy) and the start-up company Sustainability Metrics LTD (Cyprus), contributes to the creation of innovative educational material for the professional training of farmers in Cyprus, Italy and other EU countries on climate change and biodiversity issues. The project offers on its website (https://www.takeoff.cy/), open access deliverables in three languages (Italian, Greek, English), such as 1) online educational materials for Environmental Friendly Farming (e.g., presentations, activities), 2) a tool for calculating the environmental footprint of agricultural products, and 3) a manual for the organization and implementation of vocational education and training. All the deliverables of TakeOff, which was financed in the context of the Erasmus+ Progrmame, are related to professional development for the agricultural sector, and are taking into consideration all relevant and recent EU policies and directives for sustainable production and biodiversity protection. In addition to the educational material prepared, multiplier events had been held in Cyprus and Italy to present the project’s results to various stakeholders of the public and private domains. The material produced can be used for face-to-face and online learning, and it is designed to contribute additionally to digital skills development for farmers in Cyprus and Italy (the project’s focus areas).
For more information on the TakeOff project as well as on other related OUC actions, interested people can contact the OUC Terrestrial Ecosystems Management Lab:
