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ABSTRACT
Bioenergy is a rapidly growing subsector of the emerging bioeconomy, with the potential to create a substantial number of jobs. However, training programmes for these positions are limited, and there is currently a lack of research-based guidance for the creation of new programmes. This study employed a modified, two-round Delphi technique to generate a bioenergy education framework, utilising the expertise of professionals in the field. Participants were presented with a list of bioenergy concepts and rated the importance of including each topic in a college-level bioenergy curriculum, using a five-point scale. Suggestions for additional items were requested. After receiving feedback about the panel's mean ratings from Round One, experts were again asked to rate each item. A comparison between rankings from participants in academia and industry showed that, overall, their priorities are well aligned. The resulting framework provides structure for developing standardised bioenergy workforce education programmes and appropriate evaluation instruments.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Notes
1 Most statistical tests require independence between observations, but by design, the Delphi method does not have independent observations. At the first round, the participants’ responses can be considered independent, as they (presumably) are not influencing each other. However, at the next round, participants see the mean rating and standard deviation for each theme before rating each theme again. There is even a greater possibility of statistical dependence since they are asked to justify their rating if it deviates too far from the mean.