Enniskillen, Greenmount and Loughry Campuses of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) recently held a series of spring open day events in April – with almost 1,000 people attending the three events.

According to CAFRE, the open days afforded the opportunity for prospective students to find out about the courses and careers it offers in the agri-food and land-based industries. During the open days visitors had the chance to meet and talk to teaching staff and existing students, explore the campus facilities and gain an insight into student life at CAFRE.

The Enniskillen Campus open day – directed in particular at people interested in working with horses and studying equine courses – was held on Saturday, April 1.

Loughry’s Campus open day focused on courses in Food Technology, Food Business Management, Food Design and Nutrition, as well as postgraduate courses in Business for Agri-food and Rural Enterprise. The open day was held on Tuesday, April 4.

open day

Prospective Greenmount Campus student Leia Williamson and her mum from Banbridge, Co Down get up to speed on details about accommodation from the Accommodation manager, Barry Kelly, at the spring open day. Also included is the CAFRE Recruitment Manager Kenneth Johnston

Greenmount Campus, Antrim held its open day on Wednesday, April 5, showcasing courses in Agriculture, Horticulture, Land-based Engineering, Floristry and Veterinary Nursing.

Feedback from those who attended the open days has been encouraging, with the participants impressed with the college staff and the campus facilities.

CAFRE attracts students from all over Ireland, both North and South, for some of the specialist courses it provides.

Also Read: Want a career in agriculture? CAFRE (Greenmount Campus) to hold ‘open day’ next week

In the case of Greenmount Campus, there is a diverse range of types of training provided. Further Education (FE) courses offer apprenticeships, diplomas and extended diplomas while, for more advanced education, Higher Education (HE) courses are available.

These include a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Technology – jointly provided by CAFRE and Queen’s University Belfast – as well as foundation degrees in ‘Agriculture and Technology’ and ‘Horticulture’. These are validated by Ulster University.

There is an ’emphasised’ practical element to all courses provided by Greenmount, with both FE and HE students engaging in ‘hands-on’ learning.

For more information on courses available, see CAFRE’s website.