63 job descriptions listed in a new tool of the COLEAD training system

Every operator, from the manager to the worker, including the middle manager or small producer, has a role to play in ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and food.’ That is why’ it is essential that our learning methods and tools are designed to correspond to the qualification levels and needs of each link in the value chain.

To achieve this, the COLEAD training system integrates two frameworks:

1. A learning objectives framework: the training catalogue.
2. A skills framework: the catalogue of job profiles that has just been published and that you can discover here. the catalogue of recently published job profiles?

Such a skills framework is essential to the training system as it:

• allows the identification and clear definition of the skills required for each occupation. This gives training managers a precise understanding of the abilities and knowledge needed to excel in a specific profession.
• ensures alignment with the needs of the labor market: By using job profiles, the skills framework can be adjusted based on the ongoing changes in the needs of businesses and their environment. It ensures that training programs meet the current and future requirements of the agriculture and agri-food sector.
• guides the development of relevant training programs. Job profiles help structure courses and modules to cover the key skills required, ensuring that learners acquire the necessary knowledge to succeed in their field.
• permits comparison of the skills requirements for a job/function with the qualifications acquired by personnel in companies or other organizations (Professional Organizations, public services, various service providers). It, therefore, allows objective measurement of potential gaps and identifies each person’s capacity-building needs.

The list of occupations presented in the COLEAD catalog is adapted to the target audience of COLEAD’s professional training. There are other jobs related to the horticultural or agricultural sector that are not included here, such as computer scientists or mechanics. The list presented is primarily based on the analysis of processes related to Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards, Agricultural Production and Processing, Sustainable Environmental Management, Business Management, Corporate Social Responsibility, Ethics, and Training.

The 63 job profiles in the COLEAD catalogue have been validated by professionals from  many countries in which COLEAD is active. It is therefore a crucial tool for designing, implementing, and evaluating effective professional training programs tailored to the specific needs of the agricultural sector and the countries in our field of action. It ensures a match between the skills taught and those sought by employers, thereby promoting the employability of learners.

This activity is supported by the Fit For Market Plus (FFM+) programme, implemented by COLEAD within the Framework of Development Cooperation between the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) and the European Union. This publication receives financial support from the European Union and the OACPS. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of COLEAD and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union or the OACPS.