New farming and horticultural apprenticeships welcomed

The establishment of new apprenticeship schemes in farming and horticulture has been described as a “really exciting development” for the farming and education sectors by Simon Harris, the Minister for Further and Higher Education.

The new courses, which will enable students to qualify as farm managers, farm technicians or horticulturalists, will start in September and take two years to complete.

Successful farm manager candidates will emerge with a level seven degree while the technician qualification will be at level six.

The farm manager apprenticeship is intended to create a pathway to a managerial career in the agricultural sector, equipping the apprentice with the latest research and best practice management knowledge to successfully run a commercial farm business.

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The farm technician apprenticeship will help to develop skills in daily operations, compliance with industry standards and regulatory measures.

Apprentices will be employed by commercial farm enterprises such as arable, dairy, cattle, pigs, poultry, sheep and suckler farms.

The farm manager course will be based at Teagasc Kildalton College in Piltown, Co Kilkenny while the technician one will be run out of Clonakilty College in Cork and Ballyhaise Agricultural College in Cavan.

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The horticultural course, which will have various sub streams including fruit, gardens and parks as well as hard landscaping, will be based at the College of Amenity Horticulture in the Botanic Gardens.

“Embedding these programmes will be essential to securing the future of farming,” said Mr Harris.

“This investment will ensure the next generation of farmers can access the education they want and need, while still working on the farm.”

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Alice Doyle of the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) said the organisation “welcomes the new agricultural apprenticeships which will provide a real and substantive career pathway for school leavers, those already working on farms and looking to upskill, or change their careers and get back to employment in new and growing areas”.

“These apprenticeships will help to develop knowledge and skills within the agricultural sector and will help with labour shortages within the sector.”

Director of the National Apprenticeship Office Dr Mary Liz Trant said the more than 70 different apprenticeships now available offered routes into careers ranging from farming to international financial services.