Need assessment of Rainbow Trout fish farmers of Boyer-Ahmad County

Education is crucial for development and training need assessment is essential for effiective education. For this purpose, a descriptive research methodology design with the aid of Borich Need Assessment Model was used to conduct the study. The target population of the study consisted of all Rainbow Trout fish farmers of Boyer-Ahmad County. Based on the model, 42 competencies needed were developed to assess needs of Rainbow Trout fish farmers (N=70). The perceived level of importance and perceived level of competence of the 42 competencies of Rainbow Trout fish farmers were measured. The data were acquired by questionnaire using face-to-face interviews. A panel of experts confirmed the face validity of the questionnaire. The questionnaire was subjected to reliability testing by using a sample of fish farmers outside the study area and confirmed with the ordinal Alpha value of 0.82. Overall training needs were analyzed and ranked using Mean Weighted Discrepancy Scores (MWDS). The top five competencies in need by Rainbow Trout fish farmers included fish diseases and their symptoms, characteristics of food and fish feeding, transporting and harvesting condition (release, fish density, temperature and weight). According to the results of ordinal regression, variables such as attitude regarding fish farming, level of education, participation in training courses, and pool area affect the skill of fish farmers.