Fostering the next generation of farmers in the Republic of Moldova through work-based learning and integrating sustainability in agricultural VET

ongoing

"One of the biggest difficulties for VET institutions in the Republic of Moldova (RM) is providing sufficient quality work-based learning (WBL) for their students, while education for sustainable development of agriculture is still a fringe aspect of agri VET theoretical and practical experience. The WBL learning paradigm in RM currently emphasizes in a disproportionate manner WBL within the school and the development of schools’ didactic farms, in the absence of innovative approaches to organizing WBL with agribusiness, which would cater a richer practical experience to students, aligned with technological progress. As such, through an innovative mix of capacity building and communication activities targeting school management, agri teachers, but also the agricultural private sector, FARMKEEN aims at increasing the capacity of the agri VET providers in RM to incorporate new learner-centered approaches in organizing WBL, but also education for sustainable agriculture, facilitating their engagement with agribusiness and the quality practical education of their students. Piloting of the Dutch model of blended learning system in floriculture will not only add to the digitalization of the teaching in the Bubuieci and Taul agri schools, but will also create the framework of transferring learning didactics for ""work integrated learning"". Also, experimenting with the World Skills’ “Education for Sustainable Development in Agriculture” approach will open access to agri VET schools in RM to another learning context similar to practicum, which brings benefits both to students, teachers and farmers/agribusinesses. Fostering the VET agri schools-agribusiness dialogue and steering it towards finding practical solutions for organizing win-win, quality WBL experiences, will consolidate the long-term relationship of the two sides and the uptake of the two proposed approaches."