Study Guide

Descriptions

Background: The study unit called the Farm Manager´s Leadership in Novia Open UAS is an education developed to support "Life long learning" and at the same time a study unit for agricultural students in Novias Degree Programme in Bioeconomy.

Structure: The Farm Manager´s Leadership, 15 ECTS, is a study unit with three separate courses. You can apply to each course separately, and the courses are independent of each other:

The Farm Manager´s Practical Leadership, 5 ECTS
The Farm Manager´s Intercultural Communication, 5 ECTS
The Farm Manager´s Guide to Risk and Safety, 5 ECTS

Mode of delivery:
Mainly distance studies with interactive online meetings with group discussions and written discussions in the learning platform Moodle.
Lectures, case studies and best practises.
Individual assignments, projects and literature studies.
Individual project work or project work in small teams supported by teams meetings.
Study teams to support each other´s learning, assignments, projects and development as Farm Manager
Regional meetings and field studies in Swedish speaking areas in Finland.
Workload 27 h / credit, totally 405 h

Assignments and evaluation:
Home exams during the study unit and individual development project work or development project work in teams, deadline by the end of each course.

Development

The study unit called the Farm Manger´s Leadership, 15 ECTS, is based on a formulated need for further education and adaptation of new competences according to the Farm Manager´s leadership, according to economical aspects, production and work safety in the agricultural sector. The need for employers from abroad leads to new demands for competences according to communication skills to work and lead in a multicutural work environment.
The demands according to social-, economical- and ecological sustainability are expected to grow according to the future global challenges, described in the UN Agenda 2030 and in the EU "Green Deal" and future development program for the agricultural sector from 2023. The study unit called the Farm Manager´s leadership is closely related to the practical leadership in the agricultural sector with an active participation of certain experts, field and case studies. Also regional Team meetings, farm trips, field studies and project based learning with external support are included in the study unit.

Further information

The target group for the study unit is everyone interested in the topic, especially people who work or plan to work as Farm Managers.

No special prerequisites.

Students need access to computer or pad with internet connection, haedphones, a microphone and a webcam.

The main language in the study unit is Swedish, but English and Finnish can be used in some lectures, in the assignments and in part of the discussions and in counselling.

Costs: Read more about costs for Open UAS students: https://www.novia.fi/studies/open-uas/

Objective

The student:
- knows how to work in teams and is able to provide a feeling of trust
- applies timely communication
- uses effective feedback
- has the ability to teach and to mentor
- is aware of the importance of empowerment of co-workers
- knows how to develop processes to engage co-workers
- is able to follow and implement Finnish labor legislation
- identifies and understands that different cultures have different customs, standards, social norms, and thought patterns
- develops intercultural communication skills, not only language skills, and willingness to accept differences and adapt to them
- achieves skills how to work, lead and develop work processes in an intercultural environment
- uses plans and documented processes for safe production
- applies sustainable recruitment and systematic introduction of new employees to work tasks
- employs risk assessment and implements risk management
- integrates the central legislation on occupational safety
- shows a positive attitude towards risk handling and occupational safety