Training requirements for the agro-food industry in Portugal

Abstract

Agro-food companies are aware that the technical and soft skills of their employees directly influencebusiness performance and, consequently, improving those skills will enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their companies. This paper presents the main results of the AgriTraining project \Trainingrequirements for the agro-food industry". Activities in pursuit of the objectives of this project involved:(1) analysis of the training needs in the agro-food industry in Portugal; (2) analysis of the trainingprovision and the training organizations; (3) analysis of market trends; (4) definition of a trainingstrategy; and (5) adjustment and development of training strategies for the agro-food sector. Thislast activity comprised the development of training curricula, suitable for the food sector as a wholeand adjusted for the specific needs of some traditional industries, in order to promote the developmentand competitiveness of the agro-food industry in Portugal. Such training curricula aimed to promotethe uptake of innovative technologies and methodologies, increase the ability of agro-food industriesto invest and take risks, and enable adoption of European Community standards for production andmarketing. Gaps in training supply were identified and the training provision was updated according tothe needs of the agro-food companies. It was determined that companies need and demand knowledgeand innovation to increase their competitive position for internationalization purposes. It was possibleto define a training strategy based on market-orientation for agro-food differentiation