Agricultural training
Farm tenancy training through NFYFC
New for 2009
External agricultural training
Lantra Awards: Dry stone walling qualifications
Lantra Awards, one of the UK’s leading awarding organisations in the land-based and environmental sector, has introduced a new suite of Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) qualifications in Dry Stone Walling.
The qualifications have been developed in partnership with the Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain (DWSA), supported by Lantra Sector Skills Council and based upon the Dry Stone Walling Association’s Craftsman Certification Scheme. It is open to volunteers, employees and self-employed craftspeople of all levels that wish to be formally recognised for practical skills in dry stone wall building and maintenance.
The Level 1 Certificate in Dry Stone Walling is aimed at learners starting out in the profession and helps to teach the basics, including building and repair work, as well as the use of copestones. Level 2 helps the learner to develop these skills further and encompasses new techniques such as building a cheekend section.
Those wishing to complete the Level 3 Certificate will have to undergo more advanced training in the building of dry stone walls, including specific features in an optional unit within the qualification.
For more information about the Lantra Awards’ Level 1, 2 and 3 Certificates in Dry Stone Walling (QCF), contact Lantra Awards on 02476 419 703 or visit www.lantra-awards.co.uk.
Developed by Lantra and Sector Skills Councils
Diploma in Environmental and Land-based Studies
Diplomas are the most significant development in education since the introduction of GCSEs.
If you live in England, you have the option to study for an exciting new qualification called the Diploma in Environmental and Land-based Studies.
It has been available in some schools and colleges in England since September 2009, and will be available across the whole country by 2013.
It’s all about the environmental and land-based sector and includes subjects such as:
- Working with plants.
- Environmental sciences.
- The way we use land for the production of food and just for having fun.
- Working with all kinds of animals.
- Looking after forests, wetlands and wild areas.
- The effect we have on the world around us and how to limit the damage we do.
You can start to study the diploma at the age of 14 (years 10-11) at either foundation or higher levels and you can continue right up to the age of 19 at advanced level.
You will study in several different ways, not just in the classroom. You will be given the chance to spend some time in a real working environment and hear from people who know about these subjects first hand. Your studies can help you prepare for a career, an apprenticeship, other training or a college or university course.
What are the benefits of completing the diploma?
- It will give you a head start in the competitive employment market.
- You will get a valuable insight into one of the UK’s main employment sectors – without committing yourself.
- The diploma allows you to go on to university or get a job. The choice is yours.
- The diploma gives you the knowledge and skills that employers and universities are looking for.
Click here to find out more about the diploma
FarmSkills
For the latest details of Farmskills courses click here
FarmSkills courses are a new programme of practical, business-focused workshops available across the country. Run by vets and industry specialists, they concentrate on delivering high-quality information in a hands-on way and can lead to a LANTRA Awards qualification. Workshops are mainly held on farms and in groups of six-eight people.
In many areas of the country, RDPE funding, managed by LANTRA LandSkills, helps reduce the cost of a course to as little as £45 per day.
Ways to get involved
- Log on to the FarmSkills website to see what types of courses are available.
- Earn money for your club by organising a workshop. Get together a group of six-eight people aged over 16 who work for a farm with a UK holding number. Pick a subject you would really like to learn more about. Contact the FarmSkills Office on 07854 063384 to set up the workshop. Every person you find is worth £15 in finders fees.
Case studies
Matthew Webster, a 22-year-old beef farmer from Yorkshire has done two FarmSkills courses; one in preventative foot trimming and another in DIY AI. Matthew says: “Being able to DIY AI my own stock and trim their feet measn I can be on top of my job a lot quicker and have a better chance of sorting out problems before they become serious. It’s great to be able to access really practical courses that deal with technical skills and make me a more confident farmer.”
Alex Burrows, from Shottle in Derbyshire, attended a FarmSkills course in mastitis control. “I learned lots of really useful tips from vets who know their stuff – since being on the course, I will be testing every case of clinical mastitis I get so I know what the problem is and how I can work with the vet to cure it and stop it becoming an issue in my herd.”