Visit Greenmount Campus open day to find out about careers in agri-food

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) courses provide the necessary knowledge and skills to begin or further a career in the agri-food and land-based sectors.

Come along to the Greenmount Campus spring open day on Wednesday 5 April 2017 between 3 and 8 pm to find out more about the courses on offer and how you might get your hands on one of the of many industry bursaries available.

Courses combine lectures and tutorials with practical sessions, allowing students to apply what they have learned to real management and decision-making situations, while assignments and case studies teach students how to solve real life industry problems. 

At Greenmount Campus, courses are offered in Agriculture, Horticulture, Floristry, Land-Based Engineering and Veterinary Nursing and are available on both full-time and day release basis. They are highly practical and business-focused and aim to develop the knowledge and skills that enable students to work in their own businesses or to pursue a career in the Agri-Food industry.

Students enter the industry at different levels depending on their qualifications and experience, and have excellent prospects after completing courses with 92% of students gaining employment or progressing onto further education within six months of graduation.

CAFRE offers a range of courses both at Further Education (FE) and Higher Education (HE) levels.

Further Education courses

FE courses include Apprenticeships, Diplomas and Extended Diplomas which are  “hands on”, with students spending a lot of time out of the classroom learning the various skills associated with their discipline. Work experience forms an important part of all FE programmes, with students working on a wide range of farm businesses throughout the UK, Ireland and New Zealand.    

Higher Education courses

At Higher Education Level, students can choose between the BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Technology jointly provided by Queen’s University Belfast and CAFRE, and Foundation Degrees in Horticulture and Agriculture and Technology validated by Ulster University. All courses have been developed in consultation with employers and industry representatives, and are focused on the application of business, economic and scientific principles.   

Work experience is also an essential component of HE courses and provides students with the opportunity to see the latest technology and make contacts with the key players in industry. While the local agri-food industry offers a range of work placement opportunities, many students opt for overseas placements with Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany and the USA being popular destinations.

HE Agriculture students also experience the management of a College farm enterprise during their studies with one option being the CREAM dairy herd, one of the top-yielding milk recorded herds in Northern Ireland.

Additional Opportunities

In addition to gaining an excellent qualification, Greenmount students also have the opportunity to go on study tours and to apply for a range of student bursaries.

Each year HE students on the Honours Degree programme go to the European parliament in Brussels where they meet EU representatives and find out about how EU policy affects Northern Ireland. The College also takes part in an annual exchange programme with Kildalton College in County Kilkenny and there is a long-established student exchange programme with Michigan State University in the USA. A number of other FE study tours take place each year mostly to Great Britain.

CAFRE also has excellent links with businesses and organizations, many of whom employ CAFRE graduates. They show their support by providing work placements, guest lectures and real-life course projects as well as providing financial support to students through the Greenmount Bursary programme.

Open day

Further information on all courses available at CAFRE can be obtained by visiting the CAFRE website. Or why not come along to the next Greenmount Campus open day for prospective students on Wednesday 5 April 2017, 3-8pm.

Notes to editors: 

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2. All media enquiries to DAERA Press Office, pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk or tel: 028 9052 4619.

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