Building on a partnership that has been in place for several years, the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) and Gurteen Agricultural College in Co Tipperary, have launched a new course offering students an alternative pathway into agriculture, with hands-on farming experience.

The QQI Level 4 Certificate in Agriculture is a 33-week full-time programme with an accessible entry point into the sector for anyone considering a future in farming, animal care, land management, or the wider agri food industry.

LOETB Further Education and Training manager Jolene Hall says the course was developed in response to needs identified through its pilot learner support partnership with Teagasc, which is an initiative providing one-to-one assistance and additional resources to help students progress throughout their learning.

“You have your Level 5 Certificate in Agriculture, but there was no feeder programme there. So, we saw an opportunity to develop a Level 4 programme,” she says.

Hands-on delivery

Coming at a time when Teagasc has updated its Level 5 entry criteria, allowing students who hold a major Level 4 award and turn 17 by the end of the year to progress to Level 5, the new course creates a clear progression route for learners, which Jolene sees as an important alternative for students who may not be ready to enter Level 5 directly.

“We’re very conscious of the fact that there are a lot of students who might not be ready to go directly to Level 5, so this gives them an alternative route into agriculture, starting at Level 4 and progressing on, if that’s the route they choose.”

In developing the curriculum, Jolene says the coordinators took a step back from the Level 5 course to consider the broader skills trajectory that learners were on and to determine the key skills they needed to develop to prepare them effectively.

“Basically, we looked at the modules at Level 5 and made sure that whatever the students are doing at Level 4 is aligned directly to the Level 5, but obviously at a slightly lower level.”

As well as supporting learners who wish to progress their studies, the co-ordinators were mindful that some students would move directly into employment. This meant they needed to ensure that the skills and knowledge gained through the course were transferable and relevant beyond the college environment, equipping learners with abilities they would need in the real world.

“The modules that we’ve chosen are necessary now in agriculture, we cover subjects like farm safety, animal welfare and sustainable farming,” says Jolene.

Designed around the needs of its students, who tend to prefer hands-on learning, the course combines classroom-based and practical learning in a blended format.

“We’re very aware that the cohort of students that we expect to choose this course might be of the nature where they won’t want to sit in a classroom all day, and that’s why we’ve developed this path that is very much hands-on and practical,” adds Jolene.

Theoretical learning takes place in the classroom each morning, before students make the 15-minute journey to Gurteen Agricultural College in the afternoon.

As a working agricultural college with extensive livestock, land and machinery facilities, Gurteen provides a practical setting in which students can develop their skills.

Delivered through eight modules, the course includes a mixture of knowledge-based, skills-based and practical learning.

Hands-on experience is developed through subjects such as basic skills in agriculture, agricultural work practice and plant establishment and maintenance, providing essential knowledge in livestock handling, machinery, farmyard tasks and plant care.

Safe working practices and animal care are explored through farm safety and animal welfare modules, while introduction to sustainable farming explores soil health, biodiversity, water quality and the environmental impact of agriculture.

The course also includes agricultural mathematics and communication and digital skills for agriculture, with both modules tailored specifically to the agricultural sector.

We’re very aware that the cohort of students that we expect to choose this course might be of the nature where they won’t want to sit in a classroom all day, and that’s why we’ve developed this path that is very much hands-on and practical

“It’s not just the generic communications and maths,” Jolene says. “It’ll be hands-on maths, things like measuring a silage pit.”

Students will apply their numeracy skills to practical tasks including feed ratios, stock counts, land measurement and costing, while developing digital and communication skills relevant to modern farming. According to Jolene, that practical approach carries through to assessment.

“In terms of the assessments for the Level 4, it’s very much skills demonstration and portfolio collection of work, so again, it’s very hands-on.”

Structured to be accessible to learners from a wide range of backgrounds, the course is aimed at early school leavers looking to gain a recognised qualification and practical skills, people considering a career in agriculture, mature learners returning to education, or those exploring new employment and training opportunities.

However, while the course is firmly rooted in agriculture, Jolene is keen to emphasise that no farming background or prior experience is required.

“It’s also aimed at people from a non-farming background, if they have an interest in agriculture but have never had the opportunity to explore it, or don’t have a family farm,” she says.

Progression

While the programme provides a clear pathway to progression to Level 5, it also emphasises practical, employment-oriented skills, with learners receiving a strong foundation in the principles and practices of modern, sustainable agriculture.

Graduates can follow a range of streams. Some might take a route into employment within farming and agri-business sectors or go on to develop their skills in land-based industry. Others might choose to explore further study in any of the related areas explored through the course modules or go on to a Level 5 course.

In order to broaden access to this progression pathway and support learners at an earlier stage of their educational journey, a Level 3 programme is also currently in development.

“What we’re working on at the moment is a Level 3 agricultural programme,” says Jolene.

“So the Level 3 would be a stepping stone to Level 5 [offering learners] a pathway from Level 3 to Level 4 and directly to Level 5.”

Ultimately, Jolene says the Level 4 programme is about giving learners the knowledge, practical skills and confidence to identify where a career in agriculture could take them.

“This programme will give learners the skills they need and an opportunity to see what careers and what progression pathways are available to them in agriculture.”

To learn more go to loetb.ie/a-practical-pathway-to-a-future-in-agriculture

Empowering farm families

LOETB is helping to make agricultural education more accessible to learners taking alternative or non-traditional routes into the sector. Another programme offering a flexible approach to agricultural education is the Family Farm programme, which supports those looking to develop their knowledge and skills while balancing learning with existing farm and family commitments.

Since its introduction in 2024, the programme has proven extremely popular among farming families, who are offered the opportunity to further their agricultural studies on a part-time basis through a suite of agri-focused courses which are designed to support the needs of the evolving agricultural sector. Combining practical advice with long-term planning support, the programme helps farmers develop their knowledge and skills while supporting them to remain competitive, compliant and forward-looking.

Courses include: