Agri careers

In this article, FRS looks at choosing the right agri career path.

Agriculture continues to play a big role in the Irish economy. However, with the landscape of farming changing, so too is the education surrounding it.

Choosing a career can be a difficult task for many people. As the Leaving Certificate approaches, sixth-year students across Ireland will begin to look at many different types of courses, internships, and jobs.

For those interested in taking a step into the agriculture or horticulture industry, there are many options available.

Agri careers

With traditional farming, self-employment or working on a family farm is common. However, there are several other agri-related career paths you could consider.

Some of these include agriscience research, wildlife and tourism, agribusiness, engineering, and lecturing.

With many courses available to students, it may be difficult to navigate through the options. Below is a breakdown of some available options that might help students find the right course or pathway to follow.

QQI courses

Firstly, for those who are not interested in completing a third-level course, there are a number of QQI courses you could consider.

These cover a variety of services and content, including agriculture, food science, animal management and forestry.

Those interested in finding out more can visit www.fetchcourses.ie or www.teagasc.ie.

If you are interested in going into farming, the Green Cert is a good option for you to consider.

The Green Cert is a full time (September – May) course and runs for two years. It is a mix of classroom-based learning and on-farm / work experience learning.

You can complete the in Teagasc Colleges; Ballyhaise, Clonakilty and Kildalton. Alternatively, you can complete it in private colleges Gurteen, Pallaskenry, and Mountbellew.

The above colleges offer level 5 and 6 courses and collaborate with other third level institutions to offer higher-level courses.

Also, you can complete the Green Cert through distance learning colleges and through a part-time course for over 23s only.

To find out more information about The Green Cert, contact the college/Teagasc via their website, as all applications are online.

Level 7/8 ag courses

For those interested in undertaking a level 7 or 8 courses, there are a number of colleges, institutes and universities across Ireland with courses available.

There is a wide variety to choose from in UCD, WIT and many others. Examples of courses include ‘Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness’ (Level 8) in Wexford, ‘Agricultural Engineering’ (Level 7) in Kerry and ‘Horticulture’ (Level 7) in Waterford.

All courses will run from September – May, and depending on the course content, you may have to complete practical work experience. You can find a list of courses on www.cao.ie along with information on each.

Informed decisions

Furthermore, choosing the right place to study can be a difficult task. We recommend going to open days. Visiting and getting a tour will give you a chance to ask any questions to help make up your mind.

If you cannot make it, visit their website, or look up their social channels to learn more about courses.

Practical farm experience

If you are interested in gaining practical farm experience, why not consider becoming a FRS operator?

Visit www.farmrelief.ie/careers and fill out an application form online, or alternatively, you can call 1890 790 890 for more information.