LIVECoVET Results: Insights on VET systems and skills needs in the livestock sector
Bridging the Gap Between VET and Real Farm Needs: Insights from LIVECoVET
After a period of intensive collaboration within the LIVECoVET project, it is a good moment to reconnect and reflect on the progress achieved together. The project has benefited greatly from the active participation of farmers, trainers, advisors, and stakeholders who contributed through interviews, surveys, and consultations. Their frontline experience has been essential in shaping a comprehensive understanding of the current state of vocational education and training (VET) in the livestock sector.
The findings reveal a clear and consistent message across partner countries: there is a growing gap between existing VET systems and the realities of everyday work on livestock farms. While the sector is evolving rapidly—driven by digitalisation, sustainability demands, and market pressures—training programmes often struggle to keep pace. Curricula updates can be slow, and administrative frameworks sometimes delay the integration of essential competences.
One of the most significant challenges identified is the lack of sufficiently practice-oriented training. Although work-based learning is formally included in many programmes, it is often not fully aligned with real farm conditions. Farmers and trainers consistently emphasise the need for training that is directly connected to daily operations, practical problem-solving, and real decision-making scenarios.
The analysis also highlights critical skills gaps that must be addressed to support the sector’s transition:
- Digital competences, including the use of farm management tools, data systems, traceability, and smart technologies
- Economic and market skills, such as cost control, profitability, and adaptation to certification and consumer demands
- Strategic farm management, including planning, analysis, and informed decision-making
- Applied sustainability, focusing on the practical implementation of agroecological principles at farm level
While sustainability is widely present in training content, it is often treated as a theoretical concept rather than a set of actionable practices. Many farmers report difficulties in translating environmental and animal welfare requirements into solutions that are both effective and economically viable.
Another important issue is the fragmentation of VET systems. The distribution of responsibilities across multiple institutions and administrative levels leads to inconsistencies in training provision, limited accessibility, and reduced recognition across regions.
Overall, the conclusions of LIVECoVET point towards the urgent need for more flexible, practical, and farmer-centred training approaches. Programmes must be designed to reflect real working conditions, integrate digital tools effectively, and deliver sustainability in a way that is operational and applicable.
The insights gathered throughout the project provide a strong foundation for developing new training solutions that respond directly to the needs of the livestock sector. As LIVECoVET moves forward, these findings will play a key role in shaping innovative VET programmes that support a more resilient, competitive, and sustainable future for livestock farming.
We would like to thank all partners and contributors once again. Your expertise continues to be at the heart of this project and the solutions we are building together.
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