Training courses
Naktuinbouw offers workshops and training courses that companies can immediately apply in practice. We looked for the right balance of blended online and offline learning, as we believe in the value of skills acquired through practice and experience
In 2022 we organised various traditional, placed-based and online training courses. Sometimes we offered a blend of partly physical and partly online training.
An overview of the workshops and training courses is shown below:
- Seed, Soil and Plant Sampling (also in English)
- E-CertNL training for seed exports
- Plant Breeders’ Rights
- Seed Identification (various modules)
- Seed Analysis
- Company Hygiene (four days)
- Authorised Field Inspector for Propagating Material of Seed or Plant Origin (three days)
- Following the Seed Trail
- Plant Breeders’ Rights for Food Security and Economic Development (international online training)
We organised 63 training courses, including 39 customised training courses that took place on site at companies. A total of 578 students attended our training courses.
They rated the quality of Naktuinbouw training with an average score of 8.3.
Online learning platform
Our Naktuinbouw Academy continues to expand. This platform forms part of all our training courses. It has replaced the manual administration and is a platform for e-learning units and communication with participants.
We post (short) training courses, learning pathways, instructional videos and webinars for and by employees onto the platform. The content was either developed in-house or bought from GoodHabitz. We developed nine new e-learning modules in 2022. The professional training courses we provide to companies are gradually being offered in a hybrid form of online learning and practical training. The Naktuinbouw Academy is also used as a platform to share knowledge and expertise of DUS testing, such as the Toolbox projects.
New: Phytosanitary training for inspectors at companies
When the fourth phase of the Brexit comes into effect, there will be many changes for companies that export fruit, vegetables and cut flowers to the UK. All their shipments must be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. This is expected to double the number of phytosanitary inspections. These inspections of fresh products take place at times that are convenient from a logistics perspective. To avoid transport delays, the NVWA has made it possible for companies to perform these inspections themselves if they wish. Naktuinbouw was asked by the NVWA, the KCB (Quality Control Bureau) and sector organisations to develop a training programme to prepare the employees of these companies for their new task.
In a short space of time, we developed and organised training for phytosanitary inspectors at companies in 2022. The lecture team was formed by a group of subject experts at Naktuinbouw. They followed didactic training to prepare for this role. Some 180 participants attended the training course, which lasted five days. The training was a blend of e-learning and, above all, a lot of practical training.
New seed families in Seed Identification training
The Manual for the Identification of Plant Seeds and Fruits was revised and extended in 2021. This publication is used as part of the course curriculum. The new edition contains 11 additional family descriptions. Based on the updated manual, five new families will be addressed. We developed new modules for this purpose in 2022.
Plant Breeders’ Rights for food security and economic development
The Plant Breeders’ Rights for Food Security and Economic Development training was also given online this year. This international training focuses on the implementation of the Plant Breeders' Rights system, based on UPOV principles. The participants all work in the field of plant breeders' rights.
Training started in October for 15 participants from seven countries: Egypt, Ghana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Mexico, Dominican Republic and the Netherlands. During the eight-week programme, they shared ideas and experiences and were able to network with colleagues from around the world. The sessions started each week with a joint, online kick-off. Depending on the subject this was usually followed by an online masterclass. In December, the participants were awarded their certificates online.
Various visits by students and excursions
Institutes of secondary vocational education and universities of applied sciences regularly request an excursion so students can discover more about what we do. Luckily, physical visits were permitted again this year. The students are very enthusiastic and the schools appreciate being able to see our work in practice.
In April we received a visit from students following secondary vocational education level 4 at Zone College, a regional training centre that provides green education. They were following Plant Breeding as an elective subject as part of the Greenhouse Horticulture study programme.
Green Unplugged is a series of work visits organised by Greenport Aalsmeer to introduce students to the Dutch horticultural sector. A group of 30 lower secondary education students visited Naktuinbouw in June. In December, all the companies that participated in the Green Unplugged initiative visited Naktuinbouw to review this year's edition.
In September we welcomed eight visitors from the Yuverta training institute Arboriculture study programme. This is an industry-recognised training programme for students aged 23 years and older who are making a career switch. The visitors all work at Greenport Boskoop.
In October, 25 students from HAS green academy in Den Bosch enjoyed a very educational day. The students are studying Applied Plant Research and had just completed the Breeding module.
The April, the Kaag and Braassem region organised an open door day at various companies. We welcomed 120 pupils in the two last years of various primary schools in the area. We explained professions such as a variety researcher, inspector or lab technician in more detail.
Knowledge platforms
In 2022 Naktuinbouw organised two knowledge platforms in Roelofarendsveen for companies and board members.
The first knowledge platform took place on 26 April. The subject was ‘Traits & Identity with DNA’. Aspects covered by the programme included the DNA of pathogens, predicting phenotypes, genomic selection, infringement, mutation research, diagnostics and more.
On 17 November we hosted the second knowledge platform. The subject this time was the best way to protect a company from pests and diseases, and addressed aspects such as corporate hygiene and risk levels, monitoring with new techniques and where to find information and gain more knowledge.
LTO Youth Day
Naktuinbouw participated again in the National Youth Day Tree Nurseries organised by the Netherlands Agricultural and Horticultural Association LTO, sector group for trees, perennials and summer flowering plants. This event was held on 26 August at Roelands Boomkwekerij and Boomkwekerij Verpaalen in Zundert. The aim was to maintain and promote enthusiasm among the younger generation for the tree nursery sector.
According to the LTO, the event was a resounding success. Around 160 enthusiastic young adults between 18 and 35 years of age travelled from all over the country to Zundert. At the nurseries there were demonstrations and various presentations on innovations, machinery and developments in the horticultural sector.
Naktuinbouw participated to show its support for the tree nursery sector and to raise the profile of our organisation and our role in the sector with the younger generation. Our inspectors explained more about the nature of their inspection work and demonstrated what inspection involves in practice.
Plantarium | Groen-Direkt
Naktuinbouw does more... And that is what we aimed to show during Plantarium | Groen-Direkt, the event for the European garden plant retail sector, in August. Our stand highlighted a wide range of our activities and tasks. From CSI in the world of plants and the plant doctor to DUS testing and the List of Names.
Variety list for school gardens
Every primary school pupil in the Netherlands has to have got their hands dirty in a school garden at least once! That is the ambition of the Alliance of School Gardens. A school garden is a great opportunity for children to get involved with food, food production and gardening. We were delighted to help realise that ambition and we created a list of crops and varieties. This variety list for school gardens was presented at the end of May during the first edition of the National School Garden Conference at the Floriade site in Almere.