Making Competency-based Education Work

Transforming education for youth employment in the agri-sector

 

Want to deliver the next generation of entrepreneurial and hands-on graduates?

As a teacher or professional in the agri-education sector, you want to prepare your students for their future jobs in the labour market. You may be uncertain if your current curriculum is doing this. Moreover, organising practice in your courses is not easy. You need to prioritise what is essential for your students to practice.

 

Are you looking for solutions to these kind of challenges? Are you looking for ways to motivate your students to participate actively in your courses? Then you are welcome to join the blended learning programme Making Competency-Based Education Work. This course is aimed at professionals working in agricultural and rural higher education or related fields. It aims to provide practical methods and stimulate critical thinking regarding how to improve education programmes through:

  • OnNew, interdisciplinary approaches and tools for designing and delivering experiential and interactive learning programmes.
  • Ideas for grounding education in real life to offer learning that goes beyond the confines of the classroom.
  • Strategies to strengthen links with the labour market and partners to produce more employable graduates.

This course builds on your knowledge and experience, helps you discover new opportunities and partnerships and gives you the skills to develop exciting course programmes that enable students to put their knowledge and skills into practice.

 

This 8-month part-time course ensures a sustainable learning pace. It alternates 3-4 week blocks of online learning and weeks of self-paced practice. This is complemented by a one-week face-to-face module with workshops, excursions, networking, etc. Each month you will gain concrete skills to immediately apply in your work. The time investment is 8-10 hours per week.

 

Note: In 2023 the 8-month track will be delivered solely in French. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated on future developments for English courses.

Next course dates:

 

Booster l’Éducation (French Course)

1 octobre 2023 – juin 2024 | 8 mois programme total en ligne/à temps partiel et

y compris une semaine en groupe en face à face au Bénin février 2024

 

Booster l’Éducation – pour les Cadres (French Course)

1 octobre 2023 – 1 juillet 2024 | 9 mois programme total en ligne/à temps partiel et

y compris une semaine en groupe en face à face au Bénin février 2024

NOTE:

The recent scholarship round has closed. You can no longer apply for a scholarship.
You can submit a scholarship application from June 28th until September 5th 2023.
Sign up for the iCRA newsletter for more updates.

There are currently no courses available in English.

 

Interested in our course? Apply here:

Learn more about scholarships:

 No scholarships are currently available.

The next application round opens in June 2023.

For our education course in French, see: Booster l’Éducation and Booster l’Éducation pours les Cadres.

Course Information

Course Overview

Welcome to our learning programme for lecturers, instructors & researchers at universities or vocational training centres in agriculture and rural development.

Are you looking for ways of motivating your students to participate actively in your courses? Are you challenged to develop curricula that prepare competent graduates for the labour market or for even start their own business? This course helps you to create links with the labour market and match the demands of the private and public agricultural sectors.

 

Main Topics:

Design and delivery for building competences

Session design and delivery

  • Deliver the theory of your courses in a focused and engaging way.
  • Motivating students through a reflective start.
  • Flipping the classroom.
  • Stimulating interaction in large groups.
Practice-based and real-life learning for more employable graduates 
  • Problem- and Practice-based learning.
  • Real-life learning and action research practices.
  • Engaging with stakeholders in your community.
Competence-based education 
  •  Defining profiling competences and professional tasks related to the labour market and societal needs.
  • Developing competence-based study programmes.
  • Create internship plans and teach your students to become entrepreneurs.

 

In our blended training

You will learn how to link your classes with the reality of your students’ future jobs by identifying the needs of the labour market. You will learn practical ways to go beyond conventional teaching methodology in your courses. Based on your fellow participants’ cases you will learn to assess students’ competencies beyond the traditional exams. You will also visit Dutch education institutes to see these tools in action.

Digital modules (online)

The digital modules consist of audio and video files, transcripts, ready-made templates, background reading and practical assignments deepening the materials dealt with in the face-to-face training.

Individual coaching (online)

You will get personal feedback from the iCRA trainers and fellow trainees on your practical assignments as well as coaching as you apply your learnings in your own context. We help you achieve your personal learning objectives and beyond.

Face-to-Face week.

In the middle of the course we will meet each other face-to-face for intensive group sessions, excursions to dutch educaitonal institutions, networking, workshops, social activities and more.

  

 

Who can attend this course?

 

The course is specially designed for professionals who…

  • Are educational professionals in the agricultural sector.
  • Are ambitious and want to make a change.
  • Are ready to invest 8-10 hours hours per week for the duration of the course.
  • Have at least five years professional experience, preferably in tertiary agricultural education and training or a related field.
  • Have a secure and stable internet connection for at least three hours per week.
  • Are proficient in English.

 

  

Course Outcomes

‘Making Education Work’ will help you gain the skills to have classes full of proactive students who are eager to learn!

Your work will have great and meaningful effect when you know how:

  • To conduct a labour market assessment and define a competence profile that will include prospective employers’ needs in your course curricula.
  • Design sessions where students practice the skills they need to get a job.
  • Give a convincing presentation to your students using video tools.
  • Combine your teaching tasks with service delivery to farmers, agri-businesses or civil society organisations.
  • Design real-life learning events for your students to practice the skills they need to perform in the ‘real’ world.

“A cross cutting course, an eye opener which must not be missed by anyone in higher education. A pure remedy on all problems of our education system. It taught us to be inclusive in our education system. Including all stakeholders for the betterment of our societies.” 

Pedzisai Matimbe, iCRA Alumni from Zimbabwe

Course Costs

Tuition fee 2023:  
6497,- euros (8 month-blended programme in French)
7497,- euros (9 month-blended programme for Executives in French)

Note: Price is excluding 21% VAT. Please contact iCRA to verify whether VAT applies. In some cases, VAT can be reclaimed by the employer.

Terms & conditions, see section C for courses  

Frequently asked questions

 

Certification

This course is a recognised NUFFIC course and therefore qualifies for OKP & MENA Scholarships. Each course participant will receive a certificate of attendance after successfully completing the course.  

Contact

 

iCRA The Netherlands (HQ)

Lawickse Allee 11, 6701 AN Wageningen
info@icra.global
+31 (0)317 422 938

iCRA France

1101 Avenue Agropolis, BP 5098
34093 MONTPELLIER Cedex 05
icra-montpellier@icra.global
+33 (0)467 61 26 60

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