A number of farm manager, farm technician and horticultural apprenticeships will be finalised by early 2023 following the passing of the Higher Education Authority Bill, Senator Victor Boyhan has said.
The bill passed through the Seanad earlier this week and was welcomed by Senator Boyhan, a member of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
He told Agriland that the legislation will pave the way for an expansion of agricultural education through practical apprenticeships.
“Until now, legislation has prohibited statutory apprenticeships in an area of agriculture, horticulture, or fishing so the enactment of this bill will address this anomaly.”
Three programmes are set to launch next year, a level six farm technician higher certificate, a level seven ordinary degree in farm management and a level six higher certificate in horticulture.
Teagasc is set to begin working with employers to train them in apprenticeship management at the beginning of 2023, while enrollment in the courses expected to follow in September. Boyhan added:
“Farming and horticulture apprenticeship programmes will help to create the next generation of farmers and horticulturists.
“The new legislation approved by the Seanad will expand apprenticeship options in the sector and that is very welcome.”
The programmes are set to be rolled out as part of a wider suite of education and training opportunities within the agricultural sector. These include an additional apprenticeship programme in sports turf management, which will provide trainees with the skills to work on turf farms and in landscape maintenance.
Development work on the programmes is ongoing and documentation on the courses has been submitted to the Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) body to progress through the final validation processes.
Senator Boyhan also said that he would continue to support Teagasc and its partners in developing further educational and training opportunities for the farming and agricultural sector.