The foundation for acquiring the national professional qualification NPK for Hop growers is based on two key documents: the professional standard and the catalogue of standards of professional knowledge and skills. These documents were developed by our team as part of the aforementioned project and are available for viewing on the website of the National Reference Point for Occupational Qualifications – Slovenia (NRP SLO).
With these standards in place, hop growers who possess existing knowledge and competencies in the field of hops may undergo additional education and then participate in a formal recognition and certification process to obtain the national professional qualification for Hopper. This certification is a publicly valid document that serves as official confirmation of the individual’s knowledge and skills and is recognized across all EU countries.
IHPS announces the commencement of education programs on the basis of applications received, with a minimum participation requirement of 10 individuals. If you are interested in pursuing this training opportunity, please direct your inquiries tomonika.oset-luskar@ihps.si.
Furthermore, as part of the Hop industry lifelong learning program (LdV Hop school) project, the institute has updated and published a professional learning resource for the field of hop growing – the book entitled Hops – from seedlings to cones (pdf [18,85 mB] (in Slovene language). This comprehensive resource consists of 135 pages and covers the fundamentals of hops, all technological tasks, instructions for cultivation, and advice for business decision-making. The book includes numerous colour photos, pictures, and tables, and represents a significant upgrade to the previously published Handbook for Hop Growers (pdf [1,44 mB]), which was originally released by the institute in 2002 (in Slovene language).