Practical training of higher education students in accordance with Article 43 of the Law of Ukraine “On Higher Education” is a form of organization of the educational process and an obligatory component of educational and professional programs for all educational qualification levels. The professional development of the future specialist depends on the quality of the practical training tasks performing.
Therefore, practical training of students is carried out at the university at a high organizational and methodical level. It is implemented through laboratory and practical training, educational and production practices. The practical training of the university students is aimed at connecting the educational process with the realities of the modern agrarian sector development.
According to the Regulations on Conducting the Practical Training of University Students in Ukraine, approved by the Ministry of Education of Ukraine, № 93 of April 8, 1993, the practical training is conducted on certified databases that meet the requirements of the program: research farms, enterprises, organizations of various ownership forms, which have the necessary conditions.
Today university students take practical training on the best farms of Mykolayiv and neighboring regions, which are the basic farms for taking production and educational practices. Every year, the Bank of practical bases is replenished; it has more than 260 farms.
For qualitative carrying out of laboratory-practical classes and educational practices workplaces are equipped with modern equipment and provided with educational-methodical materials.
The workplace certification was carried out according to the “Recommended List of Educational Hardware, Equipment and Refinement for Natural, Scientific and Professional Training of Agricultural Specialists”.
With the purpose of rational use of educational practical bases and even distribution of students for the period of practical training, schedules of taking practical training on farms from May to August are developed.
University bases for educational practical training are adapted to the requirements of modern production, namely educational accounting, training and production workshops, educational and scientific practical center.
The formation and expansion of the material and technical base of the University is done in accordance with the progressive directions and ideas of agricultural education in the countries of the world, first of all, it is the maximum approximation of the educational process to science and production, even merging with them. Thus, in 2012, a training and scientific training ground for power-generating equipment was opened.
Taking into account the fact that private (private-leasing) enterprises, peasant (farm) economies, business societies, and other entities are established on the basis of private property, and considering the degree of the higher education system, practical training of university students implies sustainability and continuity of production-practical training during the graduates of qualifications get bachelor’s, specialist’s, master’s degrees for which programs of practical training for specialists of each specialty are developed.
However, taking into account that the majority of future graduates of the university will work on such farms, students, starting with the second year, in accordance with agreements with enterprises of agricultural profile can independently (with the permission of the relevant departments or subject commissions) choose for themselves the place of training and offer it for use.
Selection of talented young people was introduced at the university and its in-depth training, internships, including practical training abroad, were organized in order to further including it in the corresponding personnel reserve for the leading positions of agro-industrial production.
In order to improve practical training and to orient it to the world scientific achievements in agricultural production, a considerable part of the training load was devoted to practical training in the best agricultural enterprises of different ownership forms in Switzerland, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Norway, Holland, Finland, France, Canada, USA Australia and New Zealand, where students are directly involved in technological processes in the production of agricultural products using the latest technologies.
Practical training of the University students in content and purpose is divided into educational, technological or undergraduate and professional (professional, undergraduate, production).
The objective of the educational practical training is to acquaint students with the specifics of the future specialty, to acquire primary professional skills and competences in general professional and special disciplines, to master the working profession from among the mass specialties. Practical training of primary professional skills is carried out by masters of production training, teachers of special disciplines.
Educational practical training includes practice:
– in individual disciplines;
– students’ training in order to master working professions;
– mastery of skills in the specialty (complex educational practical training).
Work programs of relevant educational training practices will be developed on the basis of cross-cutting practical programs. The curriculums and educational programs of the disciplines are taken into account.
Educational practical training, as well as some laboratory and practical works are conducted on the basis of branches of the departments of production. To date, 89 branches of departments have been created, under which 20% of the training load in production conditions is fulfilled.
Practical training of students is carried out by the university on the basis of the Educational and Scientific Practical Center of Mykolayiv National Agrarian University (ESPC MNAU). On the basis of the center there is a student dormitory, which has 100 places and a dining room. There is an experimental field with the total area of 450 hectares on the territory of the center, a machine-technological station has been created, work on the creation of a cattle breeding farm has been completed, and the material and technical base has been expanded. About 460 students of the university are trained according to the schedule of students educational and production practical-trainings on the basis of the ESPC MNAU during the academic year.
The practical-training is conducted in addition to ESPC MNAU at the enterprises and farms – Cynological Center of Regional Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in Mykolayiv Region, Mykolayiv Research Institute of the Academy of Agrarian Sciences in Ukraine, CJSC “Mykolayiv Factory of Bread Products”, Mykolaiv Zoo, SSE “Mykolayiv Poultry Farm” , CJSC “Aval-Etalon”, Farm “Mig-Service-Agro ”, ZPP “Zolota Niva”, OJSC “Mykolaiv Agricultural Fishery Enterprise”, CJSC “Lactalis-Ukraine”, LLC VKF “Andre” in Mykolayiv Region, PJSC“ Zorya” in Kherson Region, OJSC “Olviia” in Ochakivskyi District , Agricultural firm “Green Economy”, JSC “Radsad” in Mykolayiv Region, State Enterprise “Plumreproductor Stepove”, mechanical workshops of Faculty Power-Engineering Faculty of Mykolayiv National Agrarian University, etc.
During the practical-training, students use a special program, the required educational literature, instructional materials, and primary account sheet.
Based on the “Typical Practical Training Programs” which are developed by teaching staff of the faculty due to all types of educational practical trainings, the teachers have developed training programs of practical trainings in the appropriate disciplines.
During the practical training, students receive working professions:
– at the Faculty of Economics: working profession 4112 “Computer Operator”. The conferment of working professions is carried out in accordance with the curriculum and the existing license (series АВ № 586091);
– at the Power and Engineering Faculty: working professions 8322,2 “Driver of motor vehicles (category “B”)”, “Tractor-driver of agricultural production (categories “A”, “B”, “C ”)”,
7233 “Mechanical Fitter”, 7241 “Electrician Locksmith for repair of electrical equipment”. The conferment of working professions is carried out in accordance with the curriculum and existing licenses (series AB No. 482454, series AB No. 529127, series AB No. 586091, series AB No. 586291, respectively);
– at the Faculty of Agrotechnologies: working professions 6111 “Fruit and vegetable grower”, 6113 “Florist” and 6113 “Landscaper” to students of III-IV courses. The conferment of working professions is carried out in accordance with the curriculum and the existing license (series АВ № 482454);
– at the Faculty of Technology of Producing and Processing of the Livestock Products, Standardization and Biotechnology: working professions 6121 “Operator of artificial insemination of animals and poultry”, 6121 “Operator of cows machine milking”. The conferment of working professions is carried out in accordance with the curriculum and the existing license (series AB No. 586091).
Requirements for gaining a working profession are established by programs that are developed in accordance with the Uniform Tariff and Qualification Directory of Jobs and Professions.
Students who have mastered the working profession and passed the qualification exam are issued a certificate of qualification in the profession.
The purpose of technological practical training is to familiarize students-trainees directly at enterprises, organizations, institutions with the production process and technological cycle of production, to develop skills and competences in the working profession and specialty, to consolidate the knowledge which is obtained during the study of a certain cycle of theoretical disciplines and acquisition of experience.
The departments of university designed tasks for students according to the programs of practical training, these tasks specify the questions which student should familiarize individually during the technological practical training period. During the technological practical training, students’ production work is envisaged, during which the enterprises provide students with jobs in accordance with the specialty in which student studies. The university has a catalog of bases for technological practical training; this list includes more than 70 advanced agricultural enterprises, approved by the order of the Main Department of Agriculture and Food of the Mykolayiv Regional State Administration. These are the best farms in the Southern region.
Students of all specialties of the University with a total number of more than 460 persons are sent for the production practical training to the Educational and Scientific Practical Center of Mykolayiv National Agrarian University (ESPC MNAU), State Enterprise “Plumreproductor Stepove”, JSC “Radsad”, OJSC “Olviia” which are certified. According to the materials of these farms production activity students carry out preparation of academic year papers and diploma projects, master’s research works. The defense of diploma takes part on farms basis and master’s research works are carried out there and their results are put into production.
Professional Practical Training is the final link in the practical training. It is carried out individually on the basis of a particular farm or enterprise. The purpose of this practical training is to master the professional experience and readiness of the graduate to work independently, collecting materials for writing a research or master’s thesis.
Purposeful work on establishing long-term mutually beneficial relations and concluding contracts with leading enterprises of the region is constantly being carried out, and the base of these enterprises is created for students of Mykolayiv National Agrarian University to pass professional practical training. This helps to strengthen partnerships between the school and future employers.