The details of mandatory training in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) were announced this week, with training taking place online. It consists of seven modules and it’s estimated that each module will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
The training must be completed by the approximately 16,800 SCEP participants by 15 November 2024. Where participants do not complete the training, they will then be removed from the programme and a full recoupment of any payments received to date will be enforced.
There is no payment for completing the training similar to other schemes, such as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). The Department has previously stated that the payment for the training component of the scheme has already been factored in to the overall payment rate.
Completing the training
The Department has issued letters to SCEP participants and these will reach farmers in the coming days, if not already received. Farmers will also be able to access this information through their agfood.ie portal. A valid email address is required to activate your account and to log on to the platform. This will only need to be completed the first time you log on to the system.
The training can be accessed by entering www.sceptraining.ie in to your web browser and can be completed on a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. The Department advises farmers that the optimal web browsers to use are Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
It advises that where farmers are having issues on one browser, to try another.
Issues may be most prevalent where using Safari on an iPhone, iPad or other Apple device, and in such cases it may be necessary to deactivate a setting on Safari to access full functionality of the training.
“To access the SCEP Training Portal when using Safari browser on macOS and iOS, you will need to temporarily change settings to turn off “prevent cross-site tracking”.
Activating your account
Step one – the activation of your account process will open, enter your herd number and PIN (as provided in our letter to you, available to access on your agfood account), then click continue.Step two – confirm your account details. Fill in all requested information into the respective fields. NOTE: It is important that the email entered here is an email address that you have access to, as password recovery emails will be sent to this in the event you need to reset your password. You should retain a copy of the password you set in a secure place for future use. When all fields have been completed, click on continue.You will get a message to confirm that your account has been authenticated. You may then select the log in button, which will take you to the log in screen.Training in progress
The module home screen will denote the status of each module: (a) not started, (b) in progress and (c) completed. All seven modules must be completed, in full, to be deemed compliant with the SCEP training requirement and ensure that you receive your SCEP payment for 2024 and are not removed from the programme.
The Department advises that module one must be completed first, followed by module two. Once you have completed both of these, the other modules will be accessible to you to complete in whatever order you wish. An estimated time for completion is provided for each module. At any stage you can click on ‘save and exit’ to save your progress and return to finish picking up where you left off.
There is a small quiz at the end of each module bar module one. The quiz comprises of five questions and it must be passed to complete the module. The quiz can be repeated until the module is passed.
If you are having any technical difficulties with logging into the training, please contact support@sceptraining.ie or 074-970-7756; or for general queries on the SCEP training or the SCEP programme, contact the Department’s Helpdesk by phone at 057-867-4422 or by email at scep@agriculture.gov.ie.
The details of mandatory training in the Suckler Carbon Efficiency Programme (SCEP) were announced this week, with training taking place online. It consists of seven modules and it’s estimated that each module will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
The training must be completed by the approximately 16,800 SCEP participants by 15 November 2024. Where participants do not complete the training, they will then be removed from the programme and a full recoupment of any payments received to date will be enforced.
There is no payment for completing the training similar to other schemes, such as the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES). The Department has previously stated that the payment for the training component of the scheme has already been factored in to the overall payment rate.
Completing the training
The Department has issued letters to SCEP participants and these will reach farmers in the coming days, if not already received. Farmers will also be able to access this information through their agfood.ie portal. A valid email address is required to activate your account and to log on to the platform. This will only need to be completed the first time you log on to the system.
The training can be accessed by entering www.sceptraining.ie in to your web browser and can be completed on a desktop computer, laptop, smartphone or tablet. The Department advises farmers that the optimal web browsers to use are Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge.
It advises that where farmers are having issues on one browser, to try another.
Issues may be most prevalent where using Safari on an iPhone, iPad or other Apple device, and in such cases it may be necessary to deactivate a setting on Safari to access full functionality of the training.
“To access the SCEP Training Portal when using Safari browser on macOS and iOS, you will need to temporarily change settings to turn off “prevent cross-site tracking”.
Activating your account
Step one – the activation of your account process will open, enter your herd number and PIN (as provided in our letter to you, available to access on your agfood account), then click continue.Step two – confirm your account details. Fill in all requested information into the respective fields. NOTE: It is important that the email entered here is an email address that you have access to, as password recovery emails will be sent to this in the event you need to reset your password. You should retain a copy of the password you set in a secure place for future use. When all fields have been completed, click on continue.You will get a message to confirm that your account has been authenticated. You may then select the log in button, which will take you to the log in screen.Training in progress
The module home screen will denote the status of each module: (a) not started, (b) in progress and (c) completed. All seven modules must be completed, in full, to be deemed compliant with the SCEP training requirement and ensure that you receive your SCEP payment for 2024 and are not removed from the programme.
The Department advises that module one must be completed first, followed by module two. Once you have completed both of these, the other modules will be accessible to you to complete in whatever order you wish. An estimated time for completion is provided for each module. At any stage you can click on ‘save and exit’ to save your progress and return to finish picking up where you left off.
There is a small quiz at the end of each module bar module one. The quiz comprises of five questions and it must be passed to complete the module. The quiz can be repeated until the module is passed.
If you are having any technical difficulties with logging into the training, please contact support@sceptraining.ie or 074-970-7756; or for general queries on the SCEP training or the SCEP programme, contact the Department’s Helpdesk by phone at 057-867-4422 or by email at scep@agriculture.gov.ie. 
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