ISHS Acta Horticulturae 350: I International Symposium on Education and Training in Horticulture
THE CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMME IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE |
| Authors: | T. U. Ferguson, L. A. Wilson, S. Maximay |
| Abstract:
The Continuing Education Programme in Agricultural Technology (CEPAT) was established in July 1990 as a programme of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of the West Indies (UWI). It represents one element of the current restructuring of training programmes in the Faculty of Agriculture aimed at meeting the new challenges posed by the rapidly changing environment in Caribbean agriculture in which the declining and socially unacceptable plantation system is being replaced by small to medium scale crop and livestock enterprises but the latter have neither fully met the challenge of foreign exchange earnings nor captured the increasing domestic market for food. CEPAT is a self-financed programme which aims to meet the more short-term training needs of the region by providing a mechanism for the rapid introduction of new and improved technologies to agriculture in the Caribbean region and to the tropics in general. The specific objectives are: (a) to design, develop and implement a comprehensive programme for training in agricultural technology, including planning, evaluation, dissemination, management and agribusiness aspects of technology applications; (b) to periodically assess the training needs of the region for continuing education in agricultural technology and management and to adjust programmes as required; (c) to identify and utilize cost-effective training methods including distance teaching where appropriate; (d) to develop and publish training manuals and other teaching materials for training courses; and (e) to generally coordinate short-term training activities in agriculture in the Caribbean region. Thirty-three training courses have been mounted by CEPAT since its launching and of these courses 27 have been regional, four national and two contractual. Over 700 persons participated in these courses from 17 Caribbean states, with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States accounting for 58 percent of all participants. CEPAT works in close collaboration with governments of the region and with other public and private sector institutions in the identification, development and conduct of specific courses. CEPAT has collaborated with six governments and over twenty national, regional, and international organisations in the development and conduct of courses. Courses are generally one to three weeks equivalent in duration and participants are normally examined for the longer courses. Certain courses are being identified by sectors of industry as providing the required training and certification to undertake specific jobs, e.g. the handling and marketing of agro-chemicals. A major feature of a CEPAT course is that farmers and other practitioners constitute a significant portion of the participants and the results of evaluations indicate that their inclusion has been justified. The programme has therefore facilitated the continuing education of persons who will normally not have had access to informal or formal university education. End-of-course evaluations indicate that participants are highly satisfied with the courses conducted. The success of CEPAT has led to proposals for its expansion and incorporation into the soon to be established Caribbean Institute of Technology and Agribusiness Development. Also CEPAT in association with Wye College and the Commonwealth of | |
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