Strengthening education and vocational training for sustainable agri-food and value chain management in Sub-Saharan Africa

forthcoming

The AgriVET project responds to the need to train new professionals in the management of the agri-food value chain in Nigeria, Ghana and Uganda. Although the agri-food sector is a fundamental economic driver, micro and small agri-food enterprises face inefficient logistics, market access barriers and a lack of qualified personnel, which hinder their ability to compete and grow. Vocational education and training (VET) institutes face difficulties in providing modern and relevant training for the sector, leaving a serious skills gap in value chain management, logistics and digital innovation. AgriVET fills this gap by providing VET institutes with innovative training programmes, digital tools and capacity-building programmes, promoting an opportunity-oriented VET model that directly responds to the needs of the private sector. The project will develop a specialised training programme for Value Chain Managers (VCM), covering supply chain logistics, the digitalisation of agri-food, sustainability and market-oriented strategies. The curriculum will be validated through train-the-trainer sessions in Italy and piloted in all three target countries, integrating work-based learning with agri-food companies. To ensure long-term impact, the project will create an open manual for VET providers, a MOOC platform for distance learning, a digital toolkit for aspiring students and a policy recommendation that will provide accessible educational resources in line with the sector. In addition, strategic partnerships with agri-food networks, policy makers and digital innovators will facilitate the adoption of training solutions, accreditation processes and job placement initiatives.