Encouraging farmer participation in agricultural education and training: A Northern Ireland perspective
2022
Ashfield, Austen | Mullan, Conall | Jack, Claire
Farmers are increasingly encountering complex challenges which require them to acquire in-depth knowledge of new technologies and best practices to bring about productive and sustainable farming systems. There is a need to update and improve knowledge and skills, particularly for those who have no or low levels of agricultural training. This study focuses on identifying existing and future skills gaps at farmlevel and investigates how knowledge provision and training should be developed and delivered to meet industry needs. This research obtained the views of key stakeholders and farmers around agricultural education provision and future training needs. The methodology combined semi-structured interviews and a farm-level survey. The results identified an immediate need to develop a programme of continuous professional development. The key barriers to training were time, cost and the relevance of training to a farmer’s particular farming system. Attitudes to training impact on the level of engagement with new practices and technologies; therefore the benefits of life-long learning within the sector need to be promoted. Agricultural education providers should develop stronger collaborations with other education providers and key stakeholders to ensure the sector needs are met.
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