£27,000 bursary on offer to attract non-farmers to farming
© Tim Scrivener A student bursary worth £27,000 is on offer to help bring fresh talent from outside the industry into the agricultural sector.
The John Innes Foundation (JIF) offers a bursary to one undergraduate each year and is aimed at candidates who are not from a farming background and also from families that are financially disadvantaged.
The idea is to attract new entrants into the sector who are looking for a career in primary crop production or farm management, but who need help and support to enable them to do so.
See also: Nine ways to fund agricultural career development
In addition to having their fees paid, successful candidates are mentored periodically throughout their degree by Velcourt’s technical director, Keith Norman, a past winner of Farmers Weekly’s Farm Adviser of the Year award.
They are also offered the opportunity to gain valuable work experience by working for Velcourt during summer holidays and may be considered for the Velcourt management training scheme following graduation.
Scheme details
The John Innes Foundation farming bursary is available to candidates who meet the eligibility criteria who are enrolled on a full-time, three year BSc (Hons) degree course in agriculture or crop production.
The student must be from a non-farming background and intend work in primary crop production in the UK, as opposed to an academic, research or overseas career.
The money, which covers the annual cost of the course fee, is paid at the beginning of each term and is discretionary on the student’s progress and attendance record.
Each student’s progress will be monitored at the end of each academic year and they will be expected to make a short presentation of their progress to the JIF trustees.
After graduation, the student will be asked to make an annual report to the trustees on their career progress.
The bursary is promoted to nine universities which offer crop-based degree courses: Newcastle, Harper Adams, RAU, Writtle, Risholme, Reading, Askham Bryan, Bishop Burton and Easton & Otley.
The closing date for this year’s applications is 31 October, 2018.
Opportunity for Holstein Young Breeder
Holstein UK is offering a member of Holstein Young Breeders (HYB) the opportunity to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Australia for a month in January 2019.
The winner of the award will get the opportunity to visit a wide range of Australian dairy farms, take part in International Dairy Week and see some of the country’s top tourist attractions.
It is part of an exchange programme which will focus on learning, practical on-farm experience, skills development, networking, and gaining first-hand knowledge of how dairy farming compares in Australia and the UK.
The winner will be required to keep a blog detailing their time in Australia and write an article for the Holstein UK Journal on their return.
Details of the scheme can be found on the Holstein UK website.