Out of the 127 students enrolled for the Green Cert in Teagasc’s Kildalton College this year, some 13 of those are female.

This is a 50% increase on last year and a record high for the course.

A spokesperson for Teagasc said that while female participation in equine and horticulture courses are usually high, the interest in agriculture is a welcome change.

Career

“As well as hailing from the bordering counties of Kilkenny, Wexford, Tipperary and Waterford, Kildalton sees this year’s female students coming from Clare, Offaly, Laois and Wicklow,” college principal Tim Ashmore said.

“The majority of these female students come from a farm, but that is never a barrier to a career in agriculture.”

In excess 1,200 students will study land-based courses in Kildalton College

The first week of September sees the start of the students returning to ag colleges throughout the country.

These first year agricultural students will join with students from other agriculture, equine and horticulture courses, as well as over 400 WIT agriculture, agricultural science, horticulture, forestry and food science students who come to Kildalton on a weekly basis as part of their degree programmes.

In total, in excess 1,200 students will study land-based courses in Kildalton College this academic year.

Report

The Teagasc Education Vision report highlighted the low rate of female graduates in further education on Teagasc programmes.

This contrasts with Quality and Qualification Ireland (QQI) data which indicates that approximately 51% of all further education awards were female.

The recent increase in female enrolment is an indication that more women are pursuing a career in farming, Teagasc said.

The Kildalton College open day will take place on Friday 4 October, where there will be an opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the course content and see the facilities at the college.