Digital Readiness for Agri-Food Entrepreneurship Training: Addressing the digital competence of VET educators

COVID-19 accelerated the digital transformation of numerous industries, particularly education and the agri-food sector. Both fields were compelled to rapidly develop digital competencies to ensur...

The main objectives of the project were to: -Equip VET educators teaching agri-food entrepreneurship with the knowledge, skills and essential tools and resources to digitalise and and enhance their teaching practices. This will enable them to support learners in agri-food entrepreneurship VET programs in building a strong online identity for their businesses. -Assess the digital competencies of VET educators: the digital capabilities of VET educators and agri-food entrepreneurs were evaluated through surveys, interviews, and evaluation tools. Using this data, aligned with the DigCompEdu framework, the consortium identified the digital training needs of VET educators. -Develop online resources to support digital upskilling: Project partners collaborated and collated data to inform the development of training programs and resources for VET educators. A series of digital resources was created to support educators in enhancing their digital skills and in teaching digital competencies to VET agri-food learners. Introduce innovative teaching methodologies, resources and materials to VET agri-food programmes

A variety of activities were implemented as part of this project in order to achieve its main aims and objectives: VET educators, agri-food entrepreneurs, broader stakeholders and relevant organisations were engaged through a range of project networking events and activities. Research activities such as conducting surveys and focus groups were used to assess the digital capabilities, training needs, and common barriers encountered by VET educators in their digital upskilling. For example, the SELFIE tool was distributed by the project partners throughout their counties. The data gathered from this survey was used to gain insight into the digital competences of VET educators and identify specific gaps and areas for improvement. The creation of project results, particularly training modules addressing the identified gaps and needs that will equip VET educators with the skills and tools to digitally enhance both their personal competencies and teaching practices. These training modules and resources cover topics such as design thinking methodologies tailored to the needs of agri-food entrepreneurs, incorporating innovative teaching strategies to boost learner engagement, and strategies for developing and expanding an online market. A variety of project events, including an LTTA and multiplier events, were organised to disseminate project results, engage with organisations and stakeholders across partner countries, and collect feedback on the effectiveness of the project outcomes. The insights gathered from these events helped the consortium refine the project results, ensuring they were optimally aligned with their intended purpose.

The concrete outputs and results of this project include: R1 - An online resource tool focusing on “How to engage the rural agri-food learner online”: This was developed to support VET educators in engaging with their rural agri-food entrepreneur learners effectively in online teaching and learning environments. A comprehensive needs analysis was conducted to guide the development of this result and its associated resources. R2 - A digital skills series: A series of presentations and resources was developed to support VET educators in training agri-food entrepreneurs on establishing their businesses online and effectively navigating online platforms to drive business growth. R3 – Fostering Design Thinking with agri-food entrepreneurs: The training course was developed to equip VET educators with the materials required to design a course specific to food entrepreneurs and producers that will develop their skills in design thinking, a key process to overcome the challenges facing the sector. R4 - 'Let’s get DigieFE sales ready: This result features a series of online modules designed to guide learners in establishing and managing their online presence to boost sales. R5 - A digital infographic booklet: This resource presents the results of a survey investigating the digital competencies and training needs of agri-food entrepreneurs across the project partner countries, providing insight and highlighting the specific digital skills VET educators should focus on in their teachings. These results are accompanied by the following project outcomes that will contribute to the digital transformation of VET agri-food entrepreneurship; -Increased rural agri-food entrepreneurs with an active digital presence as a result of upskilling 155 individuals through project events. -An increased feeling of inclusion amongst agri-food personnel throughout rural Europe, -An expanded range of resources and tools to support VET educators in teaching entrepreneurs how to transition their businesses to online platforms, -Improved digital capabilities and confidence in agri-food entrepreneurs and their VET educators.