István Nagy: Hungarian agricultural vocational training gives young people 21st century knowledge

(Photo: drnagyistvan.hu)

István Nagy highlighted that the increasingly frequent occurrence of animal and plant diseases has shown that Hungarian agriculture needs professionals with modern, practical knowledge. That is why the animal health and food safety and confectionery technician training courses were launched in September 2025. He said that the popularity of dual training is also unbroken, with more than 1,200 students gaining real-world work experience every month. He pointed out that 4,662 new students started this academic year in agricultural vocational training. All this shows that Hungarian agricultural vocational training is stronger, more attractive, and more competitive today than ever – he stated. The Ministry of Agriculture continues to work to ensure that future professionals can build Hungarian agriculture and thus the country’s future with solid knowledge. The goal remains modern knowledge, competitive agriculture and a strong countryside. “Come on, young people!” – the minister said on his social media page. In his statement to AM MTI on Monday, the Minister of Agriculture also reported that significant infrastructure, equipment and knowledge developments have been implemented in agricultural vocational training institutions. The project entitled Support for Demonstration Farms of the Rural Development Program contributes to the developments, which provided 1 billion forints of funding per center. Developments have been made in 27 institutions of the five domestic agricultural vocational training centers. Workshops have been renewed, modern power and work machines, food industry technologies, precision tools have arrived, vehicle diagnostic labs and digital learning environments have been created.

The minister highlighted: the animal health and food safety technician training specifically serves to strengthen the safety of food production of animal origin

The professionals graduated here will be able to support epidemic prevention, monitor the health of farm animals, and contribute to the safety of the domestic food chain. The confectionery technician training prepares students for the production of high-quality, industrial and artisanal sweets. Both new professions can also be chosen within the framework of adult education, so they are also open to those who already work in agriculture or the food industry, but would like to expand or renew their professional knowledge. The Ministry of Agriculture reminded that Hungarian agricultural vocational training achieved outstanding results both at the domestic and international level in 2025. At the European Championship of Young Skilled Workers, the EuroSkills Herning 2025 competition in Denmark, among hundreds of competitors from 32 countries, Hungarian agricultural competitors increased the reputation of Hungarian agricultural vocational training with excellent performance. Similarly remarkable results were achieved in the domestic professional study competitions: more than 800 students in 21 agricultural professions took part in the competition announced by the National Chamber of Agriculture, and in 17 of the 21 competitions, students from institutions maintained by the Ministry of Agriculture won. The Ministry of Agriculture remains committed to ensuring that young people and adults have modern, marketable knowledge – thereby strengthening the competitiveness and sustainability of the Hungarian agriculture and food industry and the strength of the countryside – the announcement states.

AM