Dairy co-operative Tirlán is urging family members of its suppliers to apply for its student bursaries worth €1,000 each, which are on offer for the third year in a row, in collaboration with Baileys.
The bursaries are open to Tirlán’s milk and grain suppliers and their family members who are beginning their degree studies in agricultural science.
The student bursaries are part of Tirlán’s and Baileys’ ‘Sustainable Farming Academy’ collaboration.
They are open to Tirlán suppliers’ family members who are studying at University College Dublin (UCD), University College Cork (UCC), Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) or South East Technological University (SETU).
The co-op said the bursary programme recognises the significant changes taking place in farming, and that it aims to support the “next generation” of Tirlán suppliers as they focus on enhancing the environmental and economic performance of their family farms.
In order to apply, Tirlán members must complete a form available through the Tirlán FarmLife website and submit a personal statement, outlining how being awarded a bursary would support their studies.
The content of the personal statements will be used to guide eligibility, Tirlán said, and thus are important for hopefuls to pay attention to.
All eligible candidates will be entered into a randomised draw based on the college they are attending. The closing date for bursary applications is October 31, and bursary winners will be announced in November.
In order to be eligible for this student bursary, applicants must be a family member of a Tirlán supplier.
John Murphy, Tirlán chairperson, said: “The aim of the Sustainable Farming Academy and the bursary awards is to support our suppliers and their families in addressing environmental, economic, and social change by giving them the skills and knowledge to farm more sustainably into the future.
“This is the third year we’ve run the academy and the bursary programme. We are delighted to be able to support our farm family suppliers and would ask anyone interested to apply well in advance of the October 31 deadline,” Murphy added.
Aisling Gorman, sustainability marketing manager with Baileys, commented: “Baileys is a proud Tirlán partner since 1974 and it makes sense that we would join forces to offer upskilling and education opportunities to farmers in sustainable farming practices, so that together we can drive positive change and shape the future of farming in Ireland.
“We believe the Sustainable Farming Academy can drive big changes in farming practices and we are immensely proud to support this initiative. Together, we are working for change,” Gorman added.