In the draft Strategic Plan, the need to supply a range of training and skills development for local people is emphasised.

In this document an extended list is provided.

It is not clear what training providers and facilities are available in the locality although Hungary has an excellent record of advanced and formal education at specialised centres e.g. Godollo.

The training envisaged in the plan is in most cases at a lower level with an emphasis on practical skills. It is also important to add that some of the skills noted below may be available in the community but during my brief visit, it was not possible to find this out.

The change from being an employee on a Collective farm to being self employed or involved in a small business in a competitive environment is a large one and potentially quite traumatic.

One contribution that the Carpathian Foundation might make to further the Project would be to fund a microregional skills audit and match this to an assessment of training availability in the area. It was claimed that for example the successful new co-operative at Gilej was having difficulty recruiting shepherds and milkers

Agricultural Skills:

Courses will be required on practical sheep husbandry covering lambing, simple disease control, feeding basic breeding and carcass/ fat lamb assessment and milking techniques. In the latter case some elements of basic hygiene should be included.

Some more advanced courses on dairying / milk treatment may also be useful. Similar courses on cattle and beef production may well be required
Courses on machine/ engine maintenance are presumably already available?
Practical Courses on cheese and yoghurt manufacture are needed.

Business management and development

These may be required at more than one level:-

The new farmers may require training on book keeping, flock and herd recording and farm business management.

• Those engaged in the tourism will also require business management courses.
• Training in visitor management
• Provision and facilities
• Hygiene regulations
• Health and safety
• Relevant regulation on fire risk and food hygiene
• Presentation and marketing etc.

All enterprises will require:-

• business training covering matters such as credit acquisition and management and
• basic accounting, VAT returns
• Relevant EU procedures
• A small number of the Community Association could receive more advanced training in accounting and could in time develop local businesses giving advice to the new and existing enterprises.

New Information Technology
ITC skills.

• Courses should be made available to allow as many of the population as possible to acquire IT/ commuter skills.
• Depending on when people will be able to afford their own computers, it might be possible to have a "public computer facility" ,-- mini cyber café!,--- in each of the mayoral offices, in each of the participating communities.
• It must be expected that within 5 years most of the booking for the increasing provision of accommodation will be on line.

Construction Skills

• Courses must be established in basic building skills;- electrical, plumbing, concrete laying, and carpentry and joinery etc. T
• There should be specialised training in specialised building skills, e.g. thatching and any local construction methods to produced the characteristic houses and barns of the area

Environment

• There should be both specialised and general courses in wildlife management and interpretation.
• There may be increased demand for guides for bird watching, fishing and hunting while the tourist practitioners would benefit from a good knowledge of the wildlife in order to transmit this enthusiasm and knowledge to their visitors.

Community Development, Local Knowledge and Craft
Courses should also be available in:-

• community leadership
• self-development
• craft heritage skills courses
• local history and local crafts
• painting and photography.

All these would improve local pride and may help to bridge the gap between the local community and the residents of the holiday homes, some of which might take an interest in some of these courses if held at suitable times.

Downloads:
Strategic Programme
Cotkeny Alliance's statutes