Agricultural technical assistant
Agricultural technical assistant (ATA) is a state-recognized school-based training occupation in Germany. When training to become an ATA, four areas of focus can be selected:
- Dairy farming and food analysis
- biotechnology
- Plant and environmental analysis
- Phytomedicine
The job title is "state-certified ATA with details of the focus". The job title is a bit misleading because the training has almost nothing to do with agriculture.
history
In 1952, training as an agricultural-technical assistant for dairy farming was established at what was then the agricultural college in Landsberg am Lech . In the course of time, the training was expanded to include food analysis and the field of agriculture with the fields of crop production and agricultural chemistry was newly introduced. In 2000, the biotechnology department was launched and the agricultural chemistry department was given up. The training was renamed from Agricultural Technical Assistant (LTA) to ATA. The part “agricultural” in the job title is historically determined. Today's job is a classic laboratory job. In 2016, the focus on plant cultivation and analysis was renamed Plant and Environmental Analysis and the content was expanded to include environmental analysis. Training in the meat industry in Kulmbach was discontinued.
Procedure and content
The ATA training is offered at the training center for agricultural technical assistants at the agricultural training center in Landsberg am Lech (dairy farming and food analysis, biotechnology, plant and environmental analysis). Also in Celle, where agricultural-technical assistant in the "animal area" is offered. In Lüneburg, BBS 3 Lüneburg offers the focus on plant production.
The training in Landsberg has a school and an operational section and is broken down as follows:
| September to December | January to December | January to July |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months of theoretical and practical lessons in Landsberg | 12 months internship in a recognized internship company | 7 months of theoretical and practical lessons with final exam in Landsberg |
In Landsberg, students have the option of living in a dormitory. The internship year is completed in training companies from the respective areas recognized by the school.
The following general compulsory subjects are taught in theory and practice in all key areas: chemistry, microbiology, biology, quality assurance and statistics, IT, mathematics, physics and specialist English. Depending on the chosen focus, there are additional subject-related compulsory subjects such as food technology, food law , plant breeding, plant analysis, molecular biology or fermentation technology .
requirement
A secondary school leaving certificate is a prerequisite for training to become an agricultural technical assistant.
Career prospects
ATAs are used, for example, in laboratories in the food industry and in food testing , in environmental testing laboratories , in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics industries or in plant breeding.
Individual evidence
- ↑ ATA Landsberg - Laboratory job with a future. Retrieved October 8, 2019 .
- ↑ Bavarian Law Gazette 12-2016, p. 250. Accessed in December 2016 .