The numbers of students entering agricultural training courses is declining steadily. Since 1988, numbers have declined by some 20 per cent. Farmers' sons no longer feel they want to step into their fathers' wellies. Small farms are being subsumed into larger holdings. The price of land is rising, so why would any young people, other than those poised to inherit, want to make a career in farming?
Tom Keane, chief executive with Agri Aware, says although there will be fewer opportunities to own farms, larger farms require highly skilled and motivated farmers. So, people from non-farming backgrounds have an opportunity to find work at levels up to and including farm manager.
Teagasc, the agriculture and food development authority, offers residential and non-residential courses in 14 colleges - 10 agricultural and four horticultural.
The usual route is to do a certificate in agriculture followed by a certificate in farming. All 10 colleges offer a one-year certificate in agriculture. This is the biggest course in terms of student numbers, according to Dr David O'Connor, Teagasc's head of education. "It's aimed at young farmers and people who want to work in the agriculture industry."
About half of the course content is obligatory, including modules such as records, accounts and tractor operation and "public-good modules" such as farming and environment and pesticide application. The remainder of the course consists of 10 to 12 modules from a menu of up to 200.
The certificate in farming is the minimum training required for careers in farming - full-time or part-time. The requirements include maintaining specific records and accounts for a farm, spending 12 weeks on an approved training farm on work experience and doing a management course of 80 hours.
Teagasc also offers specialist courses in areas such as farm machinery, pigs, poultry and dairying. For those interested in horticulture, Teagasc offers modular courses, with the emphasis on amenity horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, while three other colleges - An Grianan Kildalton and Warrenstown - cater for both production and amenity horticulture.
Substantial non-means-tested grant aid is available for students on full-time courses, courtesy of Teagasc and the European Social Fund.
UCD has a degree in agricultural science which includes nine specialisms: animal and crop production; animal science; agribusiness and rural development; agricultural and environmental science; food science; engineering technology; commercial horticulture; landscape horticulture and forestry. Landscape horticulture is also offered as a direct-entry course.
The Farm Apprenticeship Board runs a training programme to prepare people for careers as farm managers.
