Decentralisation, a market economy, increasing privatisation and other structural changes in rural areas have an impact on the working and living conditions of the population. Increased personal initiative and participation are needed, along with better organisational, cooperation and communication skills, in order to maintain development prospects and generate alternative income opportunities. Provision of education and training is an important tool in this context, particularly where it is tailored specifically to the needs of people working in the agricultural sector.

Market orientation and education
Agricultural businesses must learn to produce not only to meet their own needs, but also for the market. Here, key areas of training include technical and management skills, but also entrepreneurism and an ability to understand value chains.

Promoting competence
Education and training measures help people and their organisations in rural areas to acquire the necessary technical skills, thus helping to increase their self-confidence. This is the basis for success in business and therefore also a prerequisite for any strategy to combat poverty. Central to our advisory approach is the principle that learning must have a practical focus. Developing specialist knowledge while enhancing social and methodological skills provides a positive stimulus that brings about sustainable changes at individual, organisational and political level.

Major issues for rural education and training include:

• advisory services for devising regional and national strategies to promote development of competences in rural areas with the involvement of the private sector and civil society
• ensuring that provision of training and advisory services is demand-oriented
• improving the methodological competence of training and consultancy providers (adult education, participatory methods of teaching and learning, use of new communication technologies)
• improving training and consultancy providers' sectoral and management skills (quality management, staff training, operations management, product and curriculum development)
• training farmers’ organisations as service providers (operating equipment, advisor services, continuing education, networking, exchange of experience).