December saw the graduation of the latest students to have completed the Teagasc Professional Diploma in Dairy Farm Management programme.
Taking place on Friday, December 14, a number of Teagasc top brass attended on the day to see the 19 new farm management graduates receive their diplomas.
Teagasc director Prof. Gerry Boyle, Teagasc chairman Liam Herlihy and UCD’s Prof. Karina Pierce gave speeches on the day, commenting on the knowledge and skills they’d picked up and wishing them well on their budding careers in the dairy sector.
Two awards were given out to students on the day. The overall Student of the Year award went to John McAuliffe from Co. Cork.
From a dairy farm in north Cork, John completed his second year placement with Cork farmers Robert and Mary Troy, and has has taken on a herd management role on their dairy farm.
John McAuliffe, Kiskeam, Co Cork is pictured receiving the student of the year award from: Jim Treacy, Master Farmers Association; Liam Myles, FAB; and Jerry Twomey, Irish Farm Managers Association. Image source: O’Gorman Photography
Speaking to AgriLand, course co-ordinater Emma-Louise Coffey noted that the overall student of the year is a demonstration of excellence in professional work experience, based on both placement and academic learning.
Grassland Student of the Year, the second award, was won by Longford man Cian Jobe, who completed his placement last year with David and Tony Baker in Birr, Co. Offaly, and has since taken up a farm management role with Cork farmers Kevin and Margaret Twomey.
Of the 19 students to graduate, all are now working in dairy with three currently on farms abroad.
The course
The Teagasc Professional Diploma in Dairy Farm Management programme is a two-year course, at the end of which graduates receive a QQI Level 7 qualification.
Commenting on the course, Emma-Louise explained: “During their time in the two years, they’re on farms full-time but they will spend on average of 22 days engaging with Teagasc in the form of block training days, predominantly spent in Moorepark.”
Having been established in 2012, the current graduates are the fifth class to complete the programme, she explained.
“If you look at the course over the last number of years, there’s just shy of 100 graduates out of the programme in total.”
With a new class of 26 students having come in back in September, Emma-Louise said: “We’ve a very strong class; they’re excellent. They’re placed on farms in Ireland either until July or August, depending on who decides to travel or not.”
On the course in general, the co-ordinator underlined the importance of the programme.
We’re all aware of the massive shortage in terms of labour on farms and once the students have completed this course they’re recognised as very high-skilled workers that have the capacity to manage at a very high level.
“Friday was a celebration and it’s nice to mark the achievement of the graduates and they have a lot of potential and they will have a lot of success as dairy farmers in Ireland in the future.”