agriFood open educational RESources for Human capital managers Erasmus Project

Project Title

agriFood open educational RESources for Human capital managers

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Recognition, transparency, certification; Overcoming skills mismatches (basic/transversal)

Project Summary

Skill mismatches undermine competitiveness and employment, negatively affecting 39% of EU enterprises. This is likely to remain a key challenge for EU agri-food industry in the coming years, and a policy priority maintained after EU2020. CEDEFOP revealed in 2015 that together with genuine gaps due to the unavailability of the right competences, 60-80% of skill mismatches are actually apparent skill gaps. These apparent gaps are rather linked to inefficient Human Resource Management (HRM) practices such as inadequate investment in continuous training of workers, low quality jobs or little promotion opportunities. Face to these findings, CEDEFOP supports the broad academic consensus claiming that “a crucial ingredient in maximising the quality of an employment match is firms’ HR management”.
The agri-food sector faces specific and severe HR challenges, and their proficient management will be an important source of competitive advantage in the upcoming global agri-food market. Many companies are nevertheless not aware of this fact, usually coinciding with those with a weak strategic HRM.
FRESH observes previous EU projects conclusions, and proposes an innovative approach for addressing skill mismatches through HRM. The goal is to contribute to the reduction of skill mismatches in the agri-food industry. The objectives of the project are to strengthen competitiveness of EU agri-food small firms and reduce the apparent skill mismatches. This will be achieved by strengthening lifelong learning on strategic HRM in small enterprises of the agri-food sector, specifically addressed to HR managers with no or little training on HRM. The expected impact will be a shift in small businesses culture towards a stronger commitment with HRM, implying among other changes, a decided engagement with lifelong learning of staff.

Low professionalised HR managers will acquire high quality and relevant knowledge, skills and competences for managing staff challenges in the agri-food sector. They will benefit from a European qualification facilitating transfer, recognition and accumulation of HRM learning outcomes, therefore increasing their employability. C-VET training centres will be offered an innovative non-formal training course supported by an online platform adapted to the digital era. The project dissemination and sustainability strategy will ensure the uptake of the project results by firms, training centres, business associations and trade unions all over Europe.

The project brings together a partnership of 1 HRM expert, 1 competencies expert, 1 IT developer and 4 VET training centres and 3 agri-food businesses associations from Southern, Eastern and Central Europe. Transnational cooperation will facilitate the exchange of cutting edge HRM knowledge and expertise into agri-food CVET centres in countries with lower HRM commitment among their firms. Partners have been chosen after their capacities, experience and their participation in extensive networks at local, regional, state and EU level.

FRESH will develop a “HRM for small enterprises in the agri-food sector” open online training course from a participatory development methodology, involving HRM consultants, trainers and HR managers from agri-food industry small firms. The curriculum will contain a set of learning objectives and outcomes, contents, evaluation methods, and innovative training methodologies. The e-training course will be supported by a learning management system, enabling HR managers to flexibly and freely access high quality contents and learning methodologies.

The dissemination of the project results will be based on communication tools adapted to the digital era and the celebration of state and international events addressed to CVET institutions, agri-food businesses associations, trade unions and firms, in order for HRM to become a mainstream element of competitiveness in training supply and enterprise policies. Overall, more than 80.000 people are expected to be made aware of HRM results.

The open license of the course and its fully online format will enable external CVET centres and enterprises to integrate the course in their services for free, update it and improve it. Also, it opens further market opportunities to organisations willing to translate the contents, apply them to different industrial sectors or enlarge the training experience with additional services.

FRESH constitutes an innovative attempt to address skill mismatches from an alternative approach to traditional up-skilling of workers to close existing gaps. Research from CEDEFOP confirms the huge potential impact of this approach. The FRESH team is deeply convinced about the added value of a European cooperation, strongly qualified for bringing about the planned actions, results and impacts, and firmly committed to facilitate a cultural shift in small firms of the agri-food sector through lifelong learning.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 220974 Eur

Project Coordinator

ASSOCIATION NATIONALE DES INDUSTRIES ALIMENTAIRES & Country: FR

Project Partners

• FUNDACION EQUIPO HUMANO
• NEC NOTRANJSKI EKOLOSKI CENTER CERKNICA
• EDITC LIMITED
• SYNDESMOS ELLINIKON VIOMICHANION TROFINOM SOMATEIO
• FEDERACION EMPRESARIAL DE AGROALIMENTACION DE LA COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA(FEDACOVA)
• Biotehniski izobrazevalni center Ljubljana