This is a subscriber-only article
Teagasc has suspended work placements for its level six students as a result of new COVID-19 restrictions announced by the Government on Friday 27 March.
A text message sent from Teagasc to its level six Green Cert students reads: “Please note in response to the Government announcement tonight [Friday] restricting travel to work, Teagasc placements are suspended. We will inform you of any updates from Teagasc in the near future.”
Overseas students
Teagasc students who are on overseas placement had previously been advised to return home.
“Unfortunately the New Zealand government restricted flights at very short notice last week and securing flight bookings out of New Zealand is very difficult for the moment in most cases,” Teagasc’s head of education Tony Pettit told the Irish Farmers Journal. “The students are for now continuing their placement on their NZ host farms as normal. Teagasc placement co-ordinators are maintaining regular contact with these students and Teagasc is in contact with the partner NZ placement agency also. Teagasc has advised the Department of Foreign Affairs of the situation.”
UCD
Most of the UCD School of Agriculture stage three students normally begin work placement at the end of March.
Students that were already on placement were advised that they could continue their placement but only if the student was comfortable doing so and if the host was in agreement with them continuing their placement.
Students who were due to start their PWE placement in Ireland could continue to do so. UCD asked students due to travel to European or other countries affected by COVID-19 to commence their PWE not to travel
“Some students have changed their plans and are making excellent contributions all over Ireland to the agri-food sector and with the fight against the coronavirus.
“For example, many professional work experience students from the UCD Agricultural Science programme are now working directly in the fight against the coronavirus at the Enfer Laboratories in Naas, Co Kildare, which have been converted to conduct COVID-19 testing,” a spokesperson for UCD said.
WIT
Ag students at Waterford Institute of Technology who were on overseas work placement had been instructed to come home. In some cases they managed to do that and are currently in isolation for 14 days. However, some students in New Zealand couldn't get a flight out, a spokesperson for WIT told the Irish Farmers Journal.
SHARING OPTIONS: