농업인 교육· 훈련 담당자의 전문성 제고방안

Abstract

농업인 전문성 제고의 필요성이 높아지면서 정부기관, 농촌진흥기관, 농협지자체, 민간단체 등을 통해 다양한 형태의 농업인 교육·훈련을 시행하고 있다. 하지만 교육·훈련기관의 예산이나 시설상의 문제와 더불어 교육훈련 담당자의 전문성 부족으로 그 효과와 관련하여 많은 문제가 제기되고 있다. 비록 예산과 시설이 한정되어 있을 지라도 이를 운영하는 사람의 역량에 따라 상황은 많이 달라질 수 있는데, 아직까지 농업인에 대한 교육 훈련의 중요성을 강조하는 만큼, 농업인 교육 훈련 담당자들의 전문성을 제고시키기 위한 정책적 관심과 재정적 투자는 적절히 이루어지지 못하고 있다.

이 보고서에서는 농업인 교육 훈련담당자들의 전문성 실태를 점검하고, 이를 제고하기 위한 방안을 제시하고 있다. 이 보고서를 통해 농업인 교육 훈련 담당자들은 체계적으로 지원하는 정부정책과 농업인 교육 훈련기관 방침의 방향 설정에 길잡이로 활용할 수 있고, 농업인의 전문성 제고에 도움을 받을 수 있을 것으로 기대된다.

The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies for improving the professionality of farmer education and training practitioners. For the purpose, this study investigated the current problem about professionality of farmer education and training practitioners; identified the roles and competencies consisting of farmer education and training practitioners' professionality; analysed the need of farmer education and training practitioners through literature reviews, surveys, interviews, and experts reviews. The literature reviews on farmer education and training practitioners' professionality and farmer education and training policies and researches have found that job environment of farmer education and training practitioners was so poor to execute normal education and training process and suggested strategies for supporting them to develop their professionality including extending learning opportunities. Based on literature reviews on the roles and competencies of human resource development practitioners, and some modification of them with help of related experts, the specifics of the professionality were identified as follows: 11 roles including administrator, evaluator, education and training manager, material developer, individual career-development advisor, facilitator, marketer, need analyst, organizational change agent, program designer, and researcher; and 32 competencies including technical competencies, business competencies, interpersonal competencies, and intellectual competencies. Based on survey and interviews on farmer education and training practitioners, the needs for professionality development in terms of education and training and job supports were analysed as follows: farmer education and training practitioners had educational needs for such roles as program developer, administrator, evaluator, material developer, and researcher rather than education and training manager, marketer, and organizational change agent; they had educational needs for technical competencies rather than intellectual competencies; while they had mental support from institutes, they needed job supports including extended education and training opportunities, incentives for education and training job, communication among other education and training practitioners, and expert consulting on their job. From the above research findings, the following strategies for improving the professionality of farmer education and training practitioners were drawn: ① improving the importance of education and training domain in institute, ② providing well-organized education and training information and materials, ③ supporting training program customized by their career and institute and extending education opportunities including short term study trip abroad and excellent human resource development courses, ④ furnishing networking among education and training practitioners, ⑤ subsidizing expert consulting on their education and training, ⑥ improving the farmer education and training institute evaluation criteria to afford incentives to institutes trying to develop their practitioners' professionality, ⑦ expanding funding for institutes including adjusting unit training cost to realistic level, affording subsidy for developing their practitioners, and supporting the practitioners' tuition of various training opportunities, and ⑧preparing institutional fundaments including legalizing the above suggested supports, and installing farmer education and training supporting institute. Researchers: Sang-jin Ma, Kyeong-hwan Choi Research period: 2006. 8 - 2006. 11. E-mail address: msj@krei.re.kr