03 February 2010

By Kenneth Johnston, Senior Lecturer, Greenmount Campus

Work experience is an important part of the National Diploma in Agriculture [NDA] course at Greenmount Campus and sits nicely with our philosophy of ‘learning by doing’. The course runs for three years with the second year spent working on a farm away from home. The aim of this work experience year is to enable the student to develop their interpersonal, managerial and practical skills. They learn to receive and give instructions, to use their initiative and the importance of punctuality and reliability. They learn about managing farm enterprises and running a farm business and they gain useful experience about working in a farming environment and working for an employer as part of a team. Of course the years work experience is also very beneficial when they come to apply for a job. Many job advertisements ask for at least one years experience working in the industry and those who have completed their years work placement therefore have an advantage.

Most of our students are placed on approved farms in Northern Ireland but some choose to go to farms in the Republic of Ireland or farther a-field. This year one student went to work on a mixed farm in Scotland, another is working on a dairy farm in England and another is on a beef and sheep farm in the Republic of Ireland. Working away from home for a year and living independently develops the student’s personality and maturity very rapidly. Most students thoroughly enjoy their work placement and keep in touch with their work experience providers for years after they have moved on to full-time employment.

Greenmount Campus is always interested in hearing from farmers who want to take a student for 12 months on work experience. The year runs from August to July and during that time the student will work on the farm as a full-time employee. The College is looking for farms able to offer a high standard of health and safety in addition to a range of enterprises. Beef, sheep and crop farms are particularly welcome. Farmers also need to be prepared to spend time supervising and training the student in enterprise production and management. Students need to be involved in the running of the business and in the decision making process and of course have access to suitable accommodation during their year on the farm.  

Training is provided for work experience providers and a recent training event was held at Greenmount which included an overview of work experience by NDA course manager  Kenneth Johnston, a view from the work experience providers side of the fence given by Robert Fyffe from Omagh and a student’s view presented by NDA final year student Christopher Gill. The presentations were then followed by group discussion and feedback.

If you would like to know more about work placement or agricultural courses in general please contact Joe Mulholland, NDA work experience co-ordinator at Greenmount Campus, Antrim, BT41 4PU, Tel 028 86757500, ring the College freephone on 0800 028 4291.

Speakers at the recent work experience providers training evening held at Greenmount. From left to right; Robert Fyffe, Joe Mulholland, Christopher Gill and Kenneth Johnston.

Some of the NDA work experience providers who attended the recent work experience providers training  evening held at Greenmount.