VITiculture and Education for All types of learners. An ERASMUS+ strategic partnership for vocational educational and training.

To develop the recognition of vine pruner skills and competences all over Europe and to foster employability and mobility of vine pruners all over the world.

11 partners, in 7 countries. VITEA uses ECVET system (European credit system for vocational education and training) that allows lifelong learning.

Video presentation

Overview

For vine employers

It is established by the participating countries at VITEA project that project trainings exist in vine pruning as for all the work in wine-growing.
They usually lead to a certification test in vine pruning as pruning is the core business activity for employees as company managers.
The courses generally correspond to a "beginner pruner" level. Despite these trainings, winegrowers have difficulties to find competent workers.

ECVET SYSTEM

This project aims at testing the ECVET (European credit system for vocational education and training) system to assess progress made in training. VITEA is elaborated in two configurations : "vine pruner" Level 3 of the European Qualifications Framework and "Advanced vine pruner" level 4 of the European Qualifications Framework.

The idea is to prove to companies and learners that, whatever is the level of certification, learners are able to gain more competences in the activity of pruning and sustain in their jobs.

ECVET allows learners to accumulate, transfer and use their learning in units as these units are achieved. This enables building a qualification at learners’ own pace from learning outcomes acquired in formal, non-formal and informal contexts, in their own country and abroad. The system is based on units of learning outcomes as part of qualifications that can be assessed and validated.

For job seekers

The knowledge of pruning is an important possibility for employment all over the year rather than seasonal. This opportunity is not sufficiently valued.

Therefore, it is important to re-visit the training and assessments in vine pruning, firstly by exchanging with professionals to ensure better anchoring professional training, on the other hand with higher educational ambitions by targeting the level "confirmed pruner" with an approach of pruning extended to the annual work in the vineyard (green pruning, ...).The vine pruning methods are different from one vineyard to another, from one designation to another, from one country to another.
Yet around the world this work involves an element of performance.

The execution might change from one vine stock to another, one vineyard to another, but the reasoning is based on the same invariants : the basic rules are common for all pruning.
This fact allows to consider a certification test for different levels, common to different wine growing countries.

What for ?

For employers

Wineries, wine pruning service providers...

Reinforce the appreciation of vine pruning work to engage certified workers.

For future workers

Reinforce and identify a specialized skill (pruning), in order to reassure their employment, and promote the development of full-time jobs, knowing they are entering in a permanent progress by acquiring knowledge, abilities and skills validated by certifications as beginner pruner and confirmed pruner.

For professional training organizations

To improve and increase the integration of trainings in work reality and profession, increase the assessment in practical situations, develop training units reinforcing learners adaptability through a work assessment evaluation in a foreign vineyards, reflect on common certification tests in vine pruning, test out the ECVET approach : continual progress admitted, validated and certified.

For the European wine sector

Throughout the sector vine pruning is the guarantor of quality we should improve the quality of products to match with consumer trends and withstand the international competition, meet sustainability social, economic and environmental goals.

Partners

Grm NOVO MESTO

An important feature of the school is its well organized and equipped school farm with approximately 200 ha of land, which is used for the purpose of implementation of practical lessons.

In Grm Novo Mesto students receive theoretical input and practical lessons in the listed fields, but are also given an opportunity to implement specific activities related to tourism, sports and recreation, landscape organization, and environmental protection.

Grm Novo Mesto encourages their students to seek employment opportunities in the region, or launch a self-employment venture. This way the students are encouraged to revive and maintain the traditional Slovenian customs.

Grm Novo Mesto has the objective to boost the overall regional development in its broadest sense, to improve agriculture, to develop competitive capacities, to protect the environment, and to preserve the cultural heritage.

Grm Novo Mesto is currently developing lifelong learning and regional networking programmes.

EPLEFPA of PERIGORD

The EPLEFPA of Perigord is an institution of general, technical and agricultural vocational education.

It has been created in 1990 from the merger of two institutions: The agricultural High School of Coulounieix-Chamiers and Bergerac wine school.

It consists of two training sites, and 3 attached companies (La Peyrouse, La Brie, Les Chaulnes).

It provides training in initial teaching, learning, adult education and distance learning.

The EPLEFPA Perigord is a formal education structure of the French Ministry of Agriculture.

It has got 5 missions : initial and continuing agricultural education, occupational integration, animation of rural areas, research and development of international cooperation.

Annually 1,500 students arrive from the Dordogne department mainly as from the region Aquitaine. Coulounieix- Chamiers (head-quarter) and the second site Monbazillac receive pupils (550), students (200), apprentices (400) and adults (350)

The 110 teachers and trainers helped by an administrative division of 25 people offer trainings on level 3, 4, 5 and 6 of the European Qualifications Framework, starting from a CAP up to a professional license in general, technological and professional education.

The implementation of these training activities asks a close partnership with professional sections , both for the definition of content, organization of work placement as steering committee.

For technical and professional educational activities, the establishment often relies on its own facilities: agricultural and wine farms, food processing industry and tourism (direct sale, farm holidays). This is the case for the winegrowing activities; pruning practice is mainly done on the 30 hectares vineyards of Domaine de la Brie at Bergerac.

The EPLEFPA of Perigord is integrated in several national networks directed by the General Directorate of Education and Research of the French Ministry of Agriculture mainly on topics of general education, technical teaching and management.

At European level it participates in the activities of the association France Europea whose president is a member of the staff of the EPLEFPA of Perigord. This association gathers 104 French agricultural schools and organizes individual mobility courses for students and leads reflection on innovative themes in the setting of European partnership projects. The EPLEFPA of Perigord participates in projects of this association on ECVET experiments.

Concerning the specific topic of the proposed partnership project, the EPLEFPA of Perigord participates at the creation of a European wine schools network which includes more than 20 wine schools from 15 European countries.

The partners in the actual project are members of these two European networks and are known and appreciated for their activities.

CIFP A GRANXA

The CIFP TO GRANXA is a small school of Vocational training of state property, which offers specific formation of the professional Families of Agrarian and Food processing industries.

It is placed in Galicia, region that one finds in NOT of Spain, near Portugal. His situation, in a zone of production of wines and products of garden it facilitates the

entry in the world of the work of the students when they finish his studies.

It is a special center with a staff of 70 persons between teachers and labor personnel,

and 350 – 450 students. It is conceived to offer specific educations in the official’s modalities (students), occupationally (unemployed persons) and continues (Permanent training for employed persons).

The official titles that can be obtained are :

Technician of average degree in Production of olive oil and wine
Technician of average degree in Organic system Production
Technician of average degree in Gardening
Top technician in Viticulture and oenology
Top technician in landscape and environmental Resources.

The facilities for the education are:

Estate of culture of 7 hectares (vineyard, gardens, fruit trees, etc)
Celler, distillery and laboratories, test room.
Workshops of machinery with tractors and equipment.
Greenhouses and others.

In addition it possesses a residence for 50 students.

Visit Website

I.S.I.S.S. “G.B. CERLETTI”

I.S.I.S.S. “G.B. Cerletti” (aka “Scuola Enologica”) was founded in Conegliano in 1876 by royal decree. Conegliano is in Veneto, a region characterized by intense agricultural activities, and Conegliano is in the heart of a highly developed wine district, where the popular sparkler “Prosecco” is produced. The school offers both technical and vocational courses to over 1,500 students in Conegliano and the Piavon branch. Learners attending the technical institute specialize in farming and cattle rearing, in environmental management and in vine growing and wine making, while the students of the vocational institute get a diploma in agricultural information and consultancy services. The school also features a higher technical institute for adults, and holds several courses for sommeliers, master dairymen and master distillers. Moreover, it is a member of the European network of wine schools, it organizes quite a few class exchanges and takes part in a few European projects with similar institutions abroad. There is also a close partnership with the faculty of Agricultural science of Padua university, with which it shares some premises in the Conegliano campus.

WINE SCHOOL KREMS

The Wine School Krems offers three different types of school and is in charge of research, adult and master’s education, training and consulting. The school winery is the wine growing area Kremstal and includes 17 ha of vineyards and 3 ha of orchards.

The vocational training school lasts 4 years, including over 1 year of practical training. Qualification: Certificate of Apprenticeship in Grape Growing and Winemaking.

The VinoHAK combines business and wine growing studies, lasting 5 years: 4-day training at business school, 1-day training at viticultural school.

The 10-months Wine Management College specialises in wine commerce. It includes excursions to international wine regions, tastings of national and international wines and projects on wine presentation and event management.

The alumni association of the school, Absolventenverband der Wein- & Obstbauschule Krems, is the project partner in VITEA. Appr. 1.800 winegrowers are members. Therefore, many of the relevant producers of the Austrian wine industry can benefit from project results, since :

An alumni magazine is published four times a year
Courses on technical issues are offered and well attended
Technical events take place regularly
Teachers do regular speeches during the winter meetings of the local winegrowers’ associations.

PROGETTO AGRICOLTURA Srl

Progetto Agricoltura Srl is a consulting company based in Tuscany that operates in Italy, Chile, United States and New Zealand. The company specializes in viticulture, enology, olive growing and transformation of agriculture products.
The staff is composed of high specialized Agronomists and Oenologists all with Degree in Agronomy: Maurizio Castelli who is also the CEO, Mery Ferrara, Luca Felicioni and Gabriele Gadenz

The company’s main areas of specialization are:
Viticulture

Climate analysis
Evaluation of the soil through geologic analysis
Evaluation of vine varieties and rootstocks
Economic project and evaluation of the Return on the investment
Creation of the vineyards
Assistance throughout all the vegetation, fertilization and vineyards treatments

Oenology

Feasibility studies and design of the working implants based on the client’s needs and available spaces
Assistance in the methods and timings of wine making
Assistance in wine making, ageing and bottling phases

Olive growing

Evaluation of the soil through geologic analysis
Evaluation of olive varieties based on the soils and climate
Technical and economic assistance based on the client’s agronomic choice
Assistance in the olive picking and transformation into Extra Virgin Olive oil

Finally, the most recent and innovative area of specialization is the rediscovery and selection of some Tuscan old varieties that are now included in the National Register of Vines by the Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the Universities of Florence and Pisa

Georgikon GK Meszszk -Tokaj wine region

SARL BANTON and LAURET

SARL BANTON and LAURET has been established in 1990, it is managed by Bernard BANTON, Philippe LAURET and Jean-Jacques Dubois.

Its principal activity is the realization of all wine works: vine pruning, tractor work and harvest, in all types of vineyards, in high and low vines in vineyards located in the Gironde and Dordogne.

The constant development of this activity enables it to ensure all wine operations under the supervision of winemakers.

Today, it employs 130 permanent employees and 500 to 1,500 seasonal from spring to harvest.

The experience gained over the years, the dynamism of the management team, field and office staff, as well as the rapidly, efficiency and reliability of its interventions, allowed the SARL BANTON-LAURET to work in the most prestigious Bordeaux wines.

The company operates in the vineyards of the Médoc, Graves, Sauternes and more general in the Libourne, Saint Emilion and the Bergerac areas. It is involved in prestigious vineyards as Cheval Blanc, Leoville Barton, Troplong Mondot, Angelus, the Magrez ect… It employs an average of 60 pruners per year who are professional experts. Every year in the beginning of the season confirmed pruners have a refresher training conducted by trainers guardians to recover pruning memory and refine the new vineyard management.

The company is a market leader in providing services in wine growing in France. It wants to upgrade and promote its business in order to attract new workers in winegrowing and improve the general image of it. The priority project objective affects the pruning team (60 people) and even all employees because, even if some prefer workplaces that require less technical knowledge and skills, the company wants to make them all aware. It is necessary to know the task to apply further works as the head suckering, essential to the preparation of next pruning.

Beyond the interest of participation of company employees, the participation of BANTON and LAURET, in this professional project is highly desired by vocational training organizations to ensure better professional training consolidation.

Contact

EPLEFPA du périgord
113 avenue Winston CHURCHILL
24660 Coulounieix-Chamiers - FRANCE

Opening time :

Monday to Friday

The morning from 08:30 to 12:30
The afternoon from 13:30 to 17:30

Téléphone : 05 53 02 61 30

Thank you for your visit, see you soon!