Enhancing Taiwan’s Agricultural Technical Capacity: Insights from Germany’s Agricultural Vocational Education System

Denny Lee（China Productivity Center Agricultural Innovation Department）

When discussing the cultivation of technical and vocational competencies, Germany’s vocational education and training system is impossible to overlook. Originating from the guild system of medieval Europe, this long-established dual-track training model has inherited the strengths of the apprenticeship tradition and has produced countless skilled professionals who support Germany’s labor market. By enabling students to effectively apply what they learn in practice, the system has fostered a highly mature industry-academia alignment and significantly strengthened the technical capabilities and market competitiveness of German enterprises.

In Germany, vocational training opportunities are available for virtually every occupation imaginable. Specialized training programs and practical courses are provided for professions ranging from automotive technicians and aircraft maintenance personnel to retail employees. Beyond the industrial and service sectors, there are also dedicated training institutions in Germany for the agriculture, horticulture, and landscaping industries, which are responsible for developing farmers’ professional competencies.

During the 2024 Study Tour on German Agricultural Machinery and Facility Cultivation Technology Innovation organized by Taiwan’s Ministry of Agriculture, the delegation visited DEULA, an association specializing in agricultural and horticultural technology.

DEULA (Deutsche Lehranstalt für Agrartechnik) is a network composed of 13 agricultural technology training institutions across Germany. Each institution operates independently and designs continuous and structured training programs tailored to the agricultural characteristics, regulatory requirements, and technical needs of individual federal states. Through these programs, farmers are able to continuously update their knowledge and stay abreast of the latest agricultural knowledge and technology.

The program integrates theoretical instruction with hands-on training in areas such as landscape gardening, sowing, fertilization, agricultural machinery maintenance, and equipment operation. This interactive learning approach encourages active participation and increases farmers’ willingness to invest in training at their own expense.

Most training courses last one week and are conducted in small classes of no more than 24 participants, ensuring that every trainee receives sufficient hands-on practice. Courses typically conclude at noon on Friday, followed by an assessment in the afternoon. Participants who successfully pass the assessment receive a certificate issued by DEULA.

According to DEULA, German federal regulations require practitioners in the agricultural and horticultural sectors to hold appropriate licenses before operating certain machinery and equipment. Compliance with these requirements helps avoid potential legal penalties.

To ensure training quality and credibility, DEULA's various courses have been officially recognized and certified by the federal government. As a result, the training is regarded as equivalent to government-approved instruction. Certificates awarded upon successful completion of practical assessments carry the same legal validity as the professional licenses required under German federal regulations, allowing holders to legally operate agricultural and horticultural equipment and undertake related professional work.

In addition to these features, DEULA’s training program places strong emphasis on standardization. Comprehensive training manuals and technical reference materials are prepared for each course to facilitate both classroom learning and self-study. Extensive teaching materials and training aids are also available on-site to support instructors in delivering practical and effective instruction.

Equipment safety is another major focus of the training system. Training facilities are equipped with numerous warning signs and safety reminders. Through this systematic approach, trainee error rates can be substantially reduced, improving both professionalism and safety in future equipment operation. Such a system not only protects operators themselves but also provides additional safeguards for government agencies and employers by reducing operational risks.

The study tour also revealed that training opportunities extend beyond large agricultural machinery such as cultivators and seeders. Specialized courses and practice areas are also available for smaller equipment, including brush cutters and chainsaws.

According to DEULA instructors, the objective of this training system extends beyond skill development. It also serves the broader mission of promoting agricultural modernization. This philosophy offers valuable lessons for Taiwan’s agricultural administration and extension agencies.

In Taiwan, however, systematic training programs for agricultural machinery operation remain relatively limited. Most existing courses focus primarily on general occupational safety and health awareness rather than providing continuous competency-based training supported by a comprehensive educational framework similar to Germany’s. Consequently, many farmers lack sufficient professional expertise in machinery operation, and occupational accidents remain relatively common, highlighting the need for more structured training programs.

Furthermore, vocational education resources in Taiwan are concentrated primarily at the senior high vocational schools, colleges and universities. Given resource constraints, there is often a gap between what students in agricultural schools learn and the actual needs of the agricultural industry, indicating considerable room for improvement in agricultural technical capacity.

To address these challenges, Taiwan’s agricultural authorities could gradually strengthen the role of the existing Farmers’ Academy system. Drawing upon Germany’s farmer training model, specialized in-service training programs on agricultural machinery operation could be developed to guide farmers in adopting standardized operating procedures and best practices.

Partnerships with agricultural schools and large agricultural cooperatives could also be established to provide practical training opportunities and access to equipment and facilities. Such collaboration would enhance farmers’ familiarity with machinery operation, improve professional competence, and contribute to a safer agricultural working environment and higher overall technical standards.

In addition, policymakers may consider incorporating penalty provisions into relevant regulations to encourage farmers to participate proactively in professional training programs.

Nevertheless, introducing German practices into Taiwan would involve significant challenges. Beyond the gap between training content and industry requirements, differences in educational culture must also be considered. In Taiwan and many Chinese-speaking societies, vocational education is often perceived as a secondary option for students with weaker academic performance. Such stereotypes reduce the attractiveness of vocational education and discourage young people from viewing it as a preferred educational pathway.

To address these issues, Taiwan should continue improving its vocational education framework through dedicated legislation while simultaneously strengthening its certification system. The system should place greater emphasis on competencies that reflect actual industry needs, ensuring that certificate holders possess both foundational knowledge and practical skills. Such reforms would substantially enhance the value and credibility of professional certifications.

The government may also introduce incentive programs encouraging employers to provide higher salaries or better benefits to certified employees. These measures will help reduce excessive emphasis on academic credentials and encourage businesses to recruit more professionals with vocational education backgrounds, thereby improving labor market balance.

The discussion above also echoes the concept presented in “The First Step to Smart Productivity”, published by the China Productivity Center. In today's economy, productivity is no longer limited to labor productivity alone but encompasses “total productivity,” which involves reducing operating costs and building intellectual capital internally through talent development while externally creating customer-centered experiential services.

By cultivating highly skilled agricultural professionals, Taiwan can not only enhance farmers’ technical capabilities but also improve agricultural product quality. High-quality agricultural products, in turn, form the foundation for agricultural innovation services.

However, strengthening farmers’ technical capacity cannot rely solely on government agencies. More enterprises with expertise in vocational education and training should be encouraged to participate. In addition to creating opportunities for innovative service development, such participation can contribute to rural development, support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and enhance corporate ESG value.