Attendees at Teagasc’s spring open days, which will take place at each of their college campuses, will have the opportunity to learn about available courses and get the chance to meet teaching staff, educational experts, current students and potential employers of course graduates. Attendees will also be given a guided tour of the facilities.
Head of education in Teagasc Anne-Marie Butler highlights the importance of holding open days for prospective students.
“Every year, we have a spring set of open days across the seven colleges. It’s wonderful to have people back on campus, especially after COVID-19.
"What people will see [on the day] is a fully functional college and farm. Students will be brought on tours around the colleges to see the indoor and outdoor facilities. It gives people a great chance to meet staff and get a feel for the place.”
Non-farming background
This year, a particular emphasis is being placed on attracting students from non-farming backgrounds.
Anne-Marie says: “You don’t have to be from a farm to do a Teagasc course.
"We have an increasing proportion of students coming to us who are not from an agriculture, horticulture or equine background. It’s an open invitation to privately show off our facilities.”
One of the benefits of completing a course in Teagasc is the practical element.
“A big thing people enjoy is the practical aspect of the course; it’s 50% in the classroom and 50% outdoors.
"You’re typically in the classroom in the morning and you spend the afternoon outside in the yard, in the tunnel or on a horse, which is where we find students really come into their own.”
Land-based webinar
On 21 February, Teagasc hosted a live-streamed webinar where over 3,000 students from schools across the country tuned in to hear about the diverse career opportunities in the land-based sector.
During the webinar, assistant principal at Clonakilty Agricultural College Karen O’Connell said that by attending open days “you will get more insight into the actual content of the courses, the modules, subjects and practical skills that will be completed during your studies”.
Karen advises anybody with any bit of interest to come along to the open days.
Topics discussed at the open days include:
Open day dates
For more information on Teagasc Agricultural colleges, visit: https://www.teagasc.ie/education/.