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European Innovative Teaching Award
Project

Farming as an employment opportunity for people with Mild Intellectual Disability

School: Biotehniški center Naklo

Farming as an employment opportunity for people with Mild Intellectual Disability - Slovenia

Topic(s) addressed

  • Encouraging farmers to employ people with Mild Intellectual Disability

  • Social inclusion of people with special needs (Learning Together) 

  • Sustainability

Target groups

  • Farmers, Landowners, Rural Entrepreneurs, Farming Trainers

  • PMIDs and their caring families

Methodologies

  • Applying a multidisciplinary approach regarding the topics: agriculture, employment, inclusion, and digitalization; and regarding the staff involved: pedagogical staff, farming trainers, therapists for young people with MID, and social workers. 

  • Gaining knowledge of employment opportunities for PMIDs on farms, basic knowledge of MID, and development of social, entrepreneurial and marketing skills. 

  • Inclusion, participation and cooperation exerted to the utmost, 

  • Inviting learners to play an active role in the project (e.g. in filming the promotional video)

  • Using digital tools to manage the project (a web-based project-managing platform),

  • eTwinning as a dissemination tool

Environments

  • Except for the theoretical part, the activities took place mostly out of the class (farms, agriculture fields, centre for people with special needs).

  • Online availability of materials ensured sustainable use of resources, at any time and any place.

  • A whole school approach was on a very high level, as well as cross-sectoral cooperation.

  • The multidisciplinary approach brought together farms in the region, local community, municipality, rural entrepreneurs, Ombudsman Cabinet and agricultural schools in the country

Teachers

  • Teachers, involved in the project developed sustainable teaching methods (applicable on a daily basis). 

  • They proved to be highly motivated while working with PMIDs who form 10% of the BC Naklo student community and who face many difficulties with job searching after finishing school.

Impact

  • Several people with mild intellectual disabilities found employment on farms or in farm-related jobs. 

  • Designing curriculum and training content applicable in all participating organizations

  • The project led to new related schemes such as Farcura (Fostering inclusion through social farming), REWARD (Raising Employability of Women through entrepreneurial activities fostering rural development) and MILK-ed. 

  • ICT-based training is accessible in rural areas, available in 5 languages and covers 65% of EU citizens (before Brexit).

Project category
VET schools
Project year
2022

Stakeholders

Coordinators

Biotehniški center Naklo

Address
Slovenia

Grunt, zavod za socialno podjetništvo

Address
Slovenia

Chance B Holding GmbH

Address
Austria

Union de Agricultores y Ganaderos-Jovenes Agricultores de Jaén

Address
Spain

On Projects Advising SL

Address
Spain

Confederazione Italiana Agricoltori Regionale Umbria

Address
Italy

European Landowners Organization

Address
Belgium