E-Learning for Organic Retail
Since October 2010 Institute equalita carries out a transfer of innovation project under the Leonardo da Vinci program of the European Union. The aim of the project is to establish a European e-learning platform for professional training and qualification in the organic retail sector.
Organic retail has been and will continue to be a dynamic market. However, all its business segments are suffering from a severe lack of qualified personnel, staff and managers. The great need for training could be met by new and innovative methods like E-Learning. A supply analysis, carried out by a former LdV Partnership, showed that E-Learning offers for the qualification of organic retailers don't exist either in Europe or in other major regions. All specialists interviewed for the survey expressed the need for E-Learning as an innovative and progressive method.
The aim of the project is to establish a European E-Learning Platform offering vocational qualifications in the field of organic retail. Several distance learning units will be brought together for comprehensive supply and adapted to six partner countries, according to their special national conditions and requirements. The result will be a comprehensive IT-based learning platform with 12 basic E-Learning units.
At the start a German version of the E-Learning platform will be established with 12 basic modules and the appropriate learning tools and environment. It will form the basis for transfer, adaptation and translation into the other partner countries and languages. After the transfer starts a testing of the eLearning platform in all partner countries. The review of the functionality of the eLearning platform in practical application in Austria, France, Germany, Bulgaria, Italy, the Czech Republic and Poland will lead to an evaluation and revision of the system and the establishing of the final version. The adapted and translated modules will contribute to a multinational E-Learning Platform, which will eventually adaptable for the whole of Europe.
On the basis of a common marketing concept developed in the LdV Partnership, the transfer into practice of partner countries will be realized. The dissemination and valorization will be carried out with training institutions, professional bodies and relevant actors of vocational training at national and European level. They will be informed about the E-Learning platform and introduced in using its services. Additional value will be generated by certificates, according to the Quality Assurance System ECO-QUALIFY developed during the project Eco-Qualify II.
The result will be a comprehensive IT-based learning platform with 12 basic E-Learning units. They will cover basics (organic agriculture, processing, and trade structures), product knowledge (vegetables, fruits, milk products, cereals and other dried food) and retail issues (organization, marketing, communication, economics). The learning platform will use the newest CMS software integrating modern tools available on the market.
The project will run until October 2012, first results will be presented here and at the BioFach 2012.
