Managing Training Placement Theme of Teagasc Master Farmers Conference
Placement, which involves work experience with approved master farmers, is a very important and integral part of all the agricultural courses provided by Teagasc.
That is according to Donal Carey, Director of Education and Development, Teagasc, speaking at the announcement of the sponsorship of the Master Farmers Training Conference for 2006 by FBD Trust.
The Special Training Conference for Master Farmers takes place in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, over two days on Tuesday 31 October and Wednesday 1 November, 2006. Jim Power, Chief Economist, Friends First Group, Tony Bates, CEO of the National Youth Centre for Mental Health and Paddy Browne, Assistant Director, Education and Development with Teagasc, are among the main speakers.
Donal Carey said:
“the Annual Training Conference for Master Farmers provides an opportunity to assist master farmers on guiding and directing students on placement with them. The conference is the highlight of the Teagasc training programme for this unique group of farmers and is essentially about ‘training the trainers’.
“It is important that master farmers fulfil their training role and responsibility, as well as seeing students as a source of labour. The programme for this year’s conference, which deals with ‘Managing Students on Placement’, will provide very practical tips and pointers for the day-to-day training and management of students on master farms.”
“The panel of speakers consists of a number of experts in this field and a number of Teagasc staff with experience in the area of education, training and placement issues in particular,” concluded Mr. Carey.
Topics being discussed include the impact of medium-term economic and labour market developments on agriculture; coping with and managing the behaviour of young people on placement and the role and responsibilities of Master Farmers in Teagasc placement programmes.
Kenneth Johnston, Senior Lecturer/Programme Manager and Ronnie Hutchinson, Lecturer/Placement Co-ordinator, College of Food and Rural Enterprise at Greenmount Campus in Co Antrim, will deal with Northern Ireland’s agricultural placement programmes.
The master farmerss will visit Coolemore Stud at nearby Fethard, Co Tipperary on the second day of the conference.
Further information and booking details available from: -
Liam Myles, Teagasc, Kinsealy Centre, Malahide Road, Dublin 17.
Tel.: 01 8459517. email: liam.myles@teagasc.ie
