The part-time and full-time Certificate in Agriculture (Green Cert) review is complete and the course is updated.
The revised part-time Green Certificate programme is expected to be implemented by the end of this year, with the full-time programme in place for September 2018.
The news comes as the numbers applying for the level five course fell by 6% compared to last year.
Teagasc head of education Tony Pettit told the Irish Farmers Journal that the changes were all but complete, subject to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) approval of Teagasc’s revised programmes.
The review has taken two years and involved significant stakeholder consultation.
The main changes to the level five Green Cert as recommended during the review process include:
New module on the principles of grass production.Updated module on soil and the environment.A new farm business and technology module to replace the existing farm business organisation module. This covers farm business and finance principles and use of IT applications. More emphasis on farm safety.In addition, all other existing modules have been reviewed and updated as necessary.
Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Green Cert has been subject to some changes but this is the most significant overhaul made to date.
“I am happy with the changes made to the course,” said Pettit.
“There has been a lot of consultation with stakeholders over the last two years. They would have highlighted these as the key areas to make changes.”
Teagasc said that while the award review itself has been completed, it is considering how teaching and learning approaches need to be adapted to meet the future needs of young farmers.
The number of students who enrolled for the level five Green Cert for 2017 is down 6% from 2016.
“This reduction was expected, given the improvement in the overall economy and jobs more available in other sectors such as construction.
"In fact, the level five reduction appears to be lower than was expected,” Teagasc told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Read more
Everything on the Green Cert
The part-time and full-time Certificate in Agriculture (Green Cert) review is complete and the course is updated.
The revised part-time Green Certificate programme is expected to be implemented by the end of this year, with the full-time programme in place for September 2018.
The news comes as the numbers applying for the level five course fell by 6% compared to last year.
Teagasc head of education Tony Pettit told the Irish Farmers Journal that the changes were all but complete, subject to Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) approval of Teagasc’s revised programmes.
The review has taken two years and involved significant stakeholder consultation.
The main changes to the level five Green Cert as recommended during the review process include:
New module on the principles of grass production.Updated module on soil and the environment.A new farm business and technology module to replace the existing farm business organisation module. This covers farm business and finance principles and use of IT applications. More emphasis on farm safety.In addition, all other existing modules have been reviewed and updated as necessary.
Since its inception over 30 years ago, the Green Cert has been subject to some changes but this is the most significant overhaul made to date.
“I am happy with the changes made to the course,” said Pettit.
“There has been a lot of consultation with stakeholders over the last two years. They would have highlighted these as the key areas to make changes.”
Teagasc said that while the award review itself has been completed, it is considering how teaching and learning approaches need to be adapted to meet the future needs of young farmers.
The number of students who enrolled for the level five Green Cert for 2017 is down 6% from 2016.
“This reduction was expected, given the improvement in the overall economy and jobs more available in other sectors such as construction.
"In fact, the level five reduction appears to be lower than was expected,” Teagasc told the Irish Farmers Journal.
Read more
Everything on the Green Cert
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