At the Tullamore Show on Sunday, Agri Aware launched a new ‘Intro to Ag’ transition year programme in collaboration with the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB).

From September the programme will be piloted in nine LOETB schools before being rolled out nationwide next year.

At the launch, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue emphasised the importance of giving young people the opportunity to ‘sow the seed’ in terms of potential career opportunities at an early age.

“It helps develop people's interests, it helps open up potentially new ideas and thoughts and pathways that they might not have seen before."

He continued, “It's particularly important as well, in that it offers opportunities for people who might not be from a farming and agricultural background. Who gets that first insight and who can help sow the seed of interest and also help them to pursue that further."

Responding to the decline

The recent decline in first-choice preferences for agriculture courses could have a detrimental impact on the sector according to Joe Cunningham, LOETB’s chief executive.

“This taster programme offers senior cycle students a chance to explore agriculture and its opportunities, encouraging those who might not have considered agricultural science to do so. Ultimately, the aim is to attract more students to the sector and sustain our farming families and their communities.”

The short course will give students a flavour of the subject before they reach senior cycle.

The hope is that it will help increase the number of students taking up ag science for the Leaving Certificate and considering it as a career pathway.

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