Use of new technologies in agricultural practices for practice managers

In order to ensure quality internships for students of vocational education institutions, the skills of the involved vocational educators and internship managers, the communication and quality of cooperation between vocational schools and internship companies are essential aspects. Quality internships are ensured only through the joint responsibility of 3 parties, successful cooperation of 3 parties and 3 stages of internship organization (www.qualityplacements.eu). Farmers should be the main drivers of the process in the development of science and innovation - only in this way can viable agricultural production be ensured in the future. Farmers are in dire need of innovative solutions that would allow them to adapt more successfully to climate change. Smarter and more sustainable agricultural production is essential to ensure viable rural areas. It is the producers themselves who can best tell what problems they face on a daily basis, and the solutions to which would allow them to produce products cheaper, more environmentally friendly and more socially responsible, by educating and training young farmers.
Members of the “Farmers' Saeima” need additional pedagogical and professional knowledge and skills to be able to respond to the demand for new, effective and sustainable agricultural, including crop production technologies. And farm managers who provide internships for agricultural students, in addition to solving the above challenges, must be erudite and skilled in educating young farmers.
The aim of the ERASMUS + KA1 project “Use of new technologies in agricultural internships for internship managers” is: to learn new technologies in the effective cultivation of crop products, thus increasing professional skills and competencies, as well as to acquire additional knowledge and skills in organizing and managing agricultural internships, evaluating internship reports, cooperating with vocational education institutions, taking qualification exams, organizing professional days, etc.
Project benefits:
1) Familiar with the organization of agricultural internships, internship programs, cooperation of internship managers with educational institutions, opportunities to influence educational programs and qualification standards;
2) knowledge flow and knowledge management in agri-environmental measures, protein crop cultivation, seed production and the entire agricultural sector;
3) familiar with the new and potential development of agriculture-based industries;
4) exploring opportunities for reducing operating costs and optimizing their efficiency, balancing them with existing resource management, in order to reduce environmental pollution and promote the preservation of biodiversity, as well as ensure the acquisition of high-quality raw materials and the production of products, promoting the use of integrated cultivation methods;
5) opportunities for innovation and/or reduction of the agricultural process cycle have been explored;
6) management of intellectual property;
7) further opportunities for cooperation with partners and the implementation of joint projects have been ensured;
8) the acquisition of professional terminology in foreign languages and a brief introduction to cultural and historical heritage have been promoted;
9) raising the prestige of agricultural sectors and attracting new specialists;
10) cross-sectoral cooperation.
The project participant group consists of 10 members of the "Farmers' Council" - internship managers, who provide internships for vocational education students in agricultural and crop production specialties and farms that are registered with the Latvian Rural Consulting and Education Center as good practice farms.
The work observation program is planned to be implemented in France and Denmark. It is precisely because of the specific in-depth knowledge of the topics that specific partners have been selected who will provide added value in the seed industry and protein crop cultivation technologies, especially at a time when Latvia is introducing agri-environmental, including greening requirements. The project's cooperation partners are experienced mobility project participants with appropriate competencies in the agricultural sector. The skills and competencies acquired in the project will be assessed with a EUROPASS CV document. A wide dissemination campaign of the results will be carried out. The project will have a great impact or will make a great contribution to the competence of the Farmers' Council internship managers and the preparation of students to be competitive in the labor market - at the local, regional, national and international, including European level.
Project Agreement No. 2016-1-LV01-KA102-022564
Host organizations: enAgro Ltd (Denmark), EPLEFPA LOT ET GARONNE (France)