AgroTechnology VET Centres to Network and Train Future Farmers in Jordan and Palestine

ongoing

One of the main goals for Jordan and Palestine territory (JO&PS) today is to assure the expansion of economic development to rural areas. Agriculture is considered one of the largest shares in employment and is economically important in JO&PS. The percentage of agricultural employment is about 13% in PS and therefore agriculture is a source of income, a food source, and a source of support for food security. JO is a food deficit country and is among the seven most vulnerable countries to the impact of high food prices. The sector is also affected by the scarcity of irrigation water and the overuse of groundwater. Due to the multiple challenges the two countries face, the consortium in this project with the aid of EU partners will establish 5 “AgroTec” centres in Universities of JO&PS and develop practical and innovative VET courses. These centres will promote cooperation between companies and VET institutions as well as create links between all stakeholders of the Agri-Food value chain. These centres will also assist in promoting the smart tools for enriching data through IoT sensor networks for soil-crop monitoring, processing, marketing and quality control. The curricula will be developed and the students will be acquainted with the new developments requiring new skills, not addressed in traditional curricula. The consortium is composed of 6 Universities and 2 business partners. The consortium involves Mutah University in more remote areas that have not received capacity building for VET support from the EU before. The output of the project will also be 12 new e-Learning modules corresponding to 6 new ICT solutions and 6 new agrarian trade and marketing courses. Out of these 12 courses, 4 will be conducted and tested in demo farms to demonstrate various smart farming and marketing techniques for research, training, and extension services. Special attention will be given to migrants from Palestine, Syria, and Iraq and to poor local farmers.