Teagasc targeting a September 2023 start for a range of Land-based Apprenticeship Programmes

At the National Ploughing Championships last week the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris welcomed the impending change in legislation that will allow apprenticeships in an area of agriculture, horticulture, or fishing.

Four new Land-based Apprenticeship Programmes are currently being developed by Teagasc. It is planned that apprenticeships in:

• Farm Technician (Higher Certificate Level 6);
• Farm Manager (Ordinary Degree Level 7);
• Horticulture (Higher Certificate Level 6);
• Sportsturf Technician (Higher Certificate Level 6);

will be launched early in 2023. The roll out of these is subject to a change in legislation which has prohibited statutory apprenticeships in the area of agriculture, horticulture, or fishing.

Teagasc has submitted documentation for the programmes for the first apprenticeships to QQI for validation. Once the legislation is passed and validation by QQI complete the programmes will be officially launched.

Teagasc plan to begin working with employers to train them in apprenticeship management from early 2023, and apprentices will be accepted from September pending QQI validation and legislation approval.

The minimum education entry requirements for each of the proposed apprenticeship programmes will be published subject to QQI validation approval. Currently it is proposed that Leaving Certificate will be the minimum requirement for the Horticulture and Farm Technician programmes. For the Farm Manager programme which will be an Ordinary Degree Level 7 the Advanced Level 6 Certificate in Agriculture or Farm Technician Apprenticeship - Higher Level 6 will be required.

Further details of the programmes, including locations where training is available, will be published once the validation process is finalised and the programmes are launched.

Teagasc are also developing an Assistant Stud Farm Manager Apprenticeship which is being finalised and is expected to be submitted to QQI before the end of 2022 / early 2023.

Further information on the apprenticeships available in the education section of the Teagasc website