The Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda and the Catalan Foundation for Research and Innovation are promoting a pilot project so that young people from 4th grade of ESO and high school in Ponent and the Upper Pyrenees are interested in studies related to agro-food sciences , especially in agricultural schools.
The initiative is carried out in 5 educational centers in La Noguera, Pallars Jussà and Pallars Sobirà, where researchers carry out theoretical and practical workshops.
It seeks to awaken vocations linked to the agricultural world to increase the number of young people who opt for these studies.
The lack of trained profiles in intermediate positions means that currently only between 30 and 40% of the demand is covered.
The Young Scientific Talents-Agriculture educational program seeks to improve students’ knowledge around specific areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics linked to agri-food sciences.
The sessions are dynamic to capture the attention of young people and combine theory with a practical part.
Those in charge of teaching them are researchers from the University of Lleida (UdL). The program also includes subsequent visits to the research centers of origin of the researchers.
The initiative has arrived this week at the Instituto de Ponts (Noguera) by the researchers and doctoral students Irene Teixidó and Pau Sentís.
About twenty first and second students of scientific high school participated and it included a theoretical part and a practical part in the laboratory, where the young people were able to examine and compare two varieties of corn, one yellow and one purple, to see which Of the two it has more antioxidants.
The final objective of the program is to attract the attention of young people so that they become interested in and study Higher Level Training Cycles in the country’s agricultural schools. Especially in the case of girls, since they are still a minority in this sector.
People who work in the agricultural and forestry sector usually have basic studies or university degrees. There are few people trained in intermediate positions, explained the head of the Agricultural Training Service of the Generalitat, Joan Minguet, who affirms that the lack of these professional profiles means that currently only between 30 and 40% of the demand can be covered. .
Some of these intermediate profiles in demand are farm managers, facility managers or tractor drivers, among others.
