Kelly awarded bursary for dream farming role
A student from Ramsgrange has been awarded the Glanbia/ASA/IFJ Placement Bursary meaning she will have a blog featured in the Farmer’s Journal.
The second year student is studying BSc in Agriculture at WIT. She is a daughter of Shommie and Fiona Duffin from Kilhile and is a past pupil of Ramsgrange Community School.
Kelly was one of a number of Agriculture and Agricultural Science students at WIT who impressed at an industry panel at the recent interviews for an annual placement bursary.
Each year the Agricultural Science Association (ASA) teams up with the Irish Farmers Journal, Glanbia and Seedtech to provide placement bursaries to students in the BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Science and BSc in Agriculture to support costs associated with farm/industrial placement.
‘I applied for the ASA/Glanbia Farm Placement Bursary as I feel the experiences I will gain from both working on a dairy farm and writing my blog for the Farmer’s Journal during my work placement will be extremely beneficial to my future career,’ Kelly said.
Kelly said she is enjoying the Agriculture course at WIT because it entails both theory and practicals. ‘The theory is taught through lectures which give the vital information needed to run a successful farm business and the knowledge I will need to get a job in the agricultural business sector while also getting the opportunity to put what I have learned into practice during our practical classes which are held in Kildalton College.’
Her dreams for the future are to become a college lecturer teaching agriculture to students. She is going to complete the Level 8 Land Management in Agriculture course in WIT after her level 7 BSc in Agriculture.
Kelly is looking forward to assisting farmers and students with her knowledge which she has learned from both college and her own personal experiences and research.
‘I am really looking forward to gaining experience working in the dairy sector during her farm placement.’
She is keen to gain new skills in this growing industry. Kelly’s father runs a beef finishing farm and Kelly’s plan after placement is to buy calves and rear them on her home farm after seeing how calves are reared during her work experience.
Programme leaders Dr Michael Breen and Dr Tony Woodcock, thanked all of the interviewers for giving their time and expertise so generously. ‘Placement is an integral part of the ag science/agriculture programmes here in WIT and it is great to have the continued support of our industry stakeholders in awarding the placement bursaries,’ Dr Woodcock said.
Dr Breen added that the interviewers were very impressed with the broad knowledge of the agri food sector that the students displayed as well as their eagerness to learn from their forthcoming placement.’