Future agriculture requires motivation, education and retainment

<< Background >>The aim of FARMER is to support the agricultural sector in overcoming the challenges regarding recruitment and the integration of sustainability into vocational education. As the agricultural industry is challenged with climate change, environmental issues, and rapid technological advancements, it is essential that students are equipped with the right skills to thrive in the sector. FARMER addresses these challenges, through the development of educators’ ability to teach cross-cutting skills within the context of sustainability. The needs we have addressed in this project focus on bridging the gap between the growing demand for skilled agricultural workers and the need for innovative teaching methods that engage students with sustainable practices. We worked on recruiting practices to enhance the attractiveness of vocational education in agriculture by focusing on the development of green curricula that align with both the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the needs of the agricultural industry. By improving the image of agricultural education and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in students, we aim to support their career choices and encourage a sense of pride in pursuing a sustainable and impactful vocation.<< Objectives >>By implementing the FARMER project, we aimed to equip educators with modern teaching methods and tools to better recruit, motivate, and retain students in agricultural education. Our goal was to strengthen vocational training by promoting hands-on, interdisciplinary teaching approaches that integrate sustainability, environmental awareness, and entrepreneurial learning. Through transnational cooperation and the exchange of best practices, we sought to enhance educators' ability to address climate challenges and improve the perception of agricultural careers. Ultimately, the project strives to create a lasting impact by fostering innovation in education and supporting the future workforce in the agricultural sector.<< Implementation >>In the project we held 5 learning teahcing and training activities in the project.C1: Competency - mapping of the existing skills in the agricultural education today with the aim of identifying current skills needs/gaps.C2: Setting up personal educational skills set to match the future needs.C3: Identification of the future educational skills need with a specific focus on the challenges by the climate challenge.C4: Setting up / defining new framework for agricultural learning content.C5: Policy recommendation.We held 6 TPM meetings, 3 physical meetings and 3 online.<< Results >>Analysis of Current Competences and Labor Market Indicators. Identifying Future Competences for Farmers.An Educational and Didactic Manual.A set of policy recommendations to support recruitment into Agro VET and enhance trainer upskilling.Initiated Erasmus+ mobilities with students between the partners in the project.