COLEAD recommended for ISO 21001 Certification by Tuv Nord certification body

COLEAD has recently been recommended for ISO 21001 certification by Tuv Nord. ISO 21001 is a Management System standard specifically designed for educational organizations, aiming to support competence development through teaching, learning, or research, irrespective of their size, type, or method of delivery.

This significant milestone aligns with COLEAD’s overarching vision of “Growing People” and marks over two decades of dedicated efforts in the development and implementation of training programmes in the agrifood sector. The last three years have seen rigorous work to consolidate the Training Management System (TMS), culminating in external recognition of its relevance.

COLEAD’s training system is currently based around three strategic areas:

• Guarantee a coherent, structured, high-quality training offer that meets the needs and expectations of learners and enables their organisations, and the agricultural sector in general to sustain, adapt and develop in the long term.
• Strengthen the expertise and skills, both technical and educational, of human resources so that they can provide day-to- day support to the agricultural sector
• Increase the number of people benefiting from skills enhancement through smart partnerships and by encouraging the systematic and cascading transfer of knowledge and skills.

Every operator of the value chain, from managers to workers, from middle managers to small producers, has a role to play in ensuring the sustainability of agriculture and food systems. Training means continually capitalising on and disseminating knowledge, know-how and specialised expertise to contribute to the profound transformation of agriculture and food systems and ensure that it can play its full role in contributing to reaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

While obtaining ISO 21001 is an accomplishment, COLEAD views it as the initial stride in a broader journey. The real work begins now – making the TMS operational at every level of the organization. This involves implementing audit recommendations, both internal and external, and ensuring the system becomes an integral part of a continuous improvement approach.

“We are proud to have attained ISO 21001 certification, which validates the robustness of our Training Management System. However, this is just the beginning,” remarked Emmanuelle Prunier, Quality Assurance Manager at COLEAD. “Our commitment is not only to achieve standards but to consistently enhance our educational processes and methodologies.”

As part of COLEAD’s commitment to following an open-(re)source policy, the association has made available their comprehensive Job Description catalogue and Training catalogue. Looking ahead, COLEAD anticipates more exciting developments in 2024. “Stay tuned for additional news and advancements as we continue to evolve and refine our educational systems,” noted Laura Wauters, Manager of COLEAD’s training department. COLEAD’s attainment of ISO 21001 certification stands as a testament to their commitment to educational continuous improvement and sets the stage for further innovation and growth in the years to come, to increase the overall impact of the organisation to contribute to reaching SDGs.