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The four-year agricultural mechanics apprenticeship is to be revamped from September 2018.
A newly approved curriculum will include more training on precision farming, electronics, electrics, diagnostics and hydro-electrics.
“This includes Isobus and mapping,” said Fergal O’ Sullivan, who teaches agricultural engineering at IT Tralee.
Listen to "New courses in ag engineering" on Spreaker.
The Co Kerry college teaches the final two phases of the apprenticeship, and each phase will be extended from 10 to 11 weeks to cover the new subjects.
“We will also cut back a bit on welding and traditional farm machinery,” O’Sullivan told the Irish Farmers Journal.
“Machines are getting smarter, with more electronics. TAMS II is pushing more electronics, emissions limits are becoming stricter and dealers in Leinster especially are pushing higher-spec tractors and implements. As the industry evolves, so does the training.”
The Higher Education Authority has allocated €400,000 to IT Tralee to buy new equipment for this course and the college is soon going to tender for new tools and a fully equipped tractor. Listen to “New courses in ag engineering” on Spreaker.
On a visit this month, the Irish Farmers Journal saw €10,000 worth of new Isobus training equipment donated by Kverneland.
Advanced machines
Lecturers said they also partner with contractors who lend advanced machines such as harvesters for students to work on.
“We have been running agricultural engineering courses for 40 years. We have people we can call on,” said Pat Carney, head of IT Tralee’s technology, engineering and mathematics department.
While the apprenticeships co-ordinating body SOLAS usually sends four to five groups of agricultural mechanics apprentices each year, Carney said six were now expected for next year.
James Lenehan, a fourth-year apprentice at IT Tralee and an employee at a John Deere dealership, said his employer found it difficult to find staff, but he was committed to the industry.
While other careers may pay more, he expects to be offered a job where he is and “staying in the same company lets you rise though the ranks and maybe become head mechanic or branch into sales”.
While hours can be long in the summer, “I’m a farmer’s son and we know what we’re letting ourselves into,” James added.
He and fellow apprentices Brendan Quane and David Byrne agreed that their employers had good rostering systems to ensure that everyone got appropriate time off.
They also highlighted the issue between their trade and others regarding pay rates and especially starting off rates.
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