Wilson’s benefiting from the best of both worlds at CAFRE

Are you looking for a Degree course in Agriculture that offers the opportunity to develop practical experience and form key industry links? Look no further than the programmes offered at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).

Wilson Marshall (Dungannon) received the 2019 Lakeland Dairies Bursary from Tim Acheson and Emma Birrell at the Awards Ceremony held in December 2019.

After completing A-levels at the Royal School, Dungannon in June 2019, Wilson Marshall chose to study for a BSc (Hons) Degree in Agricultural Technology with Professional Studies offered at CAFRE in conjunction with Queen’s University, Belfast.

“The combination of the rural CAFRE campus experience and Queen’s student life attracted me to the programme. The course is structured that we study two years at Greenmount Campus, Antrim and then either complete a work placement year or move on to study for the final year of the course at Queen’s University, Belfast,” commented Wilson.

“Linking with industry is an important part of CAFRE’s ethos and we were quickly introduced to key companies within the agricultural sector. The CAFRE Bursary Awards programme was launched within the first couple of weeks of our course. Before our Christmas break I was delighted to receive the Lakeland Dairies bursary of £1,000.

“I was awarded the bursary as the result of my submission of an essay on dairy herd welfare and following a competitive interview process at the Lakeland Dairies, Ballyrashane site. As part of the interview I was given a tour of their manufacturing facilities. It was very interesting as I gained an insight into the various laboratory tests and the processing and packaging systems before the finished product is despatched to the supermarkets,” recalled Wilson.   

“Towards the end of my first year at Greenmount Campus staff organised mock interviews for fictional job roles. The Northern Ireland Institute of Agricultural Science (NIIAS) kindly formed the interview panels. Although it was a daunting exercise, being the winning candidate for a role as a Ruminant Nutritionist certainly provided a highlight to the day. Preparation for the interview process meant I expanded my knowledge and interest in the area.

“Having a high level of responsibility on the home dairy farm has given me a great understanding of the dairying sector. However, I wish to explore other areas within the agri-food industry. I intend to develop my knowledge of agriculture further during my placement which will hopefully give me a better insight to career paths available. I look forward to my future as an agricultural technology graduate,” concluded Wilson.

If you would like more information on Agriculture Degree courses available at CAFRE send an email to: enquiries@cafre.ac.uk or visit the CAFRE website. If you have a specific question click on the ‘Contact a Careers Adviser’ icon on the relevant website course pages or call us on Freephone 0800 028 4291.

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