College options for a keen lad.

solo

Member
Location
worcestershire
I did not enjoy school and was not keen to go to further education for more pointless pen pushing. All I wanted to do was farm work, but my parents wanted me to go else where before coming home to farm. After A levels I went and worked for 6 months on a pig, sheep and arable farm in Northamptonshire followed by six months on a dairy, beef, sheep and arable farm in Shropshire.
Going to agricultural college was totally different for me compared with school, as it was a subject I was interested in and this made the pen pushing easier. The sandwich year also broke up the course which appealed too.
The following 3 years I did a HND in agriculture at Harper with a sandwich year in the middle year on a large sheep, beef and arable farm in Worcestershire. Same county as the home farm, but didn’t go home much as I was busy and really enjoyed the job. I was given plenty of opportunity on the farm and loved the area. I also met my wife later that year through the local YFC.
The final couple of terms at college were more specialised which kept my interest going, as after a year at work, college didn’t appeal so much again.
I went home to work as an employee, but also started my own sheep enterprise alongside. Life evolved after that and I took over full management of the farm 4 years later.
Looking back over 30 years later, going to college taught me to question everything. i could easily have just worked at home after school, but I feel the experiences on other farms and the skills learnt at college have made me a better farmer/ businessman.
 

Johnnyboxer

Member
Location
Yorkshire
I did not enjoy school and was not keen to go to further education for more pointless pen pushing. All I wanted to do was farm work, but my parents wanted me to go else where before coming home to farm. After A levels I went and worked for 6 months on a pig, sheep and arable farm in Northamptonshire followed by six months on a dairy, beef, sheep and arable farm in Shropshire.
Going to agricultural college was totally different for me compared with school, as it was a subject I was interested in and this made the pen pushing easier. The sandwich year also broke up the course which appealed too.
The following 3 years I did a HND in agriculture at Harper with a sandwich year in the middle year on a large sheep, beef and arable farm in Worcestershire. Same county as the home farm, but didn’t go home much as I was busy and really enjoyed the job. I was given plenty of opportunity on the farm and loved the area. I also met my wife later that year through the local YFC.
The final couple of terms at college were more specialised which kept my interest going, as after a year at work, college didn’t appeal so much again.
I went home to work as an employee, but also started my own sheep enterprise alongside. Life evolved after that and I took over full management of the farm 4 years later.
Looking back over 30 years later, going to college taught me to question everything. i could easily have just worked at home after school, but I feel the experiences on other farms and the skills learnt at college have made me a better farmer/ businessman.

This sums up my experience of school and Ag College and later life
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Agree with all of the above go and work for someone else. I learnt far more working for other people than at college. I did a btech degree. Never used any of it in day to day farming.

Only regret is not working for other people for longer. Should have said at least ten years before coming home.

Should forge your own way in life and become your own person before becoming part of family business in my opinion.
 

Tomr10

Member
There is huge benefits to education a lot has changed over the years. Go for something that's broad and and has practical aspects built in.
 

toquark

Member
I think work experience away from home is worth ten times that at home at a young age.

I did an HND in ag with a sandwich year spent on a large arable and pig & dairy business. The chap I worked for had started off on the modest family farm age 14 in the 60s, by the time I came to work with him, he was farming in excess of 2000 acres owned, and another 2000 rented.

He never spent a day at college but was born with an innate capability for business and a passion for the job. His father didn’t have it and neither did his sons. It was just in him. I don’t think you can teach that to be honest.

He’s the exception though, for the majority qualifications will help you on your way, they did for me.

EDIT

I have been and continue to be scathing about higher education - it’s not what I was and the culture that exists in it worries me for my own children. Thankfully they have a good few years before making these decisions. If the piece of paper is necessary, it might be case of holding his nose and getting it done.
 
Just to repeat, he doesn’t work at home, he’s on a local arable and dairy farm, cracking place with a good herd and modern kit. He’s getting the experience of different points of view and the discipline of having to be at work on time (always early) and get himself up and going at 5am on his weekends covering dairy duties.

He gets very varied work from calf feeding to combining, which he’s very lucky to be doing. Everyone at the farm is expected to do all tasks but he’s lucky to be 17 and ploughing all day on a new tractor while the regular chaps are in the yard. It’s a great place for him to work.

That’s probably part of the problem! Had he spent the last year sweeping the yard and training calves on to buckets he might be longing to get in to college.
 

Overby

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South West
He might not be keen now but some form of qualification will definitely be a benefit in the long run. Try and get him to do some form of management option too, rather than just practical, as that's becoming more vital by the day. Can't work outdoors if indoors isn't sorted.
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Just to repeat, he doesn’t work at home, he’s on a local arable and dairy farm, cracking place with a good herd and modern kit. He’s getting the experience of different points of view and the discipline of having to be at work on time (always early) and get himself up and going at 5am on his weekends covering dairy duties.

He gets very varied work from calf feeding to combining, which he’s very lucky to be doing. Everyone at the farm is expected to do all tasks but he’s lucky to be 17 and ploughing all day on a new tractor while the regular chaps are in the yard. It’s a great place for him to work.

That’s probably part of the problem! Had he spent the last year sweeping the yard and training calves on to buckets he might be longing to get in to college.
My only advice . I travelled to Oz at 18 to work for 3 months. I regret it not being 2 years...... Get him to travel once we can again. With age and responsibility the chance to travel get less and less and the regret bigger and bigger
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
You don’t need all that crap to have and run a business , you need business acumen which is in the main in you or not . If he must be educated get him doing business qualification.
Lots of businesses need certification for everything?
Farming for example.
Risk Assesments,HSE ,etc etc to name a few.
 

Renaultman

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Darlington
more or less he is doing what tickles his fancy, where he is happy.

I was pushed to a comprehensive scholl and then after 5th year did a few nvq l2 and 3 in engineering and also livestock production. How i have ended up as a maintence techneican in a food factory i will never know but now am looking for a course to match it and sharpen up my skills on the electronic side. Funny thing is i thought about electronics but didnt like the idea of a full time course but liked making things.

Part I hate the most, doing the comprehensive school, forced to and hated it dont think i have any friends from it that i see often, maybe on a night out.

Id say let him sort himself out, everybody has to make their own mistakes and choices, its thier life and if you are interested in what you are doing that is all that u need to learn.
My only advice . I travelled to Oz at 18 to work for 3 months. I regret it not being 2 years...... Get him to travel once we can again. With age and responsibility the chance to travel get less and less and the regret bigger and bigger
Totally agree with that.
 
That’s part of the mix too. He’s busting keen to get abroad working, which is great and we want him to do that. Trouble is, he wants it all now, which I know is the impatience of youth, and it must seem a long way off for him.

He’s thinking America/Canada then NZ/Aus and even thinking about applying for the British Antarctic Survey in a few years. Not quite sure what that entails but he’ll give it his best go, no doubt.

I can’t fault his enthusiasm.
 

Tomr10

Member
That’s part of the mix too. He’s busting keen to get abroad working, which is great and we want him to do that. Trouble is, he wants it all now, which I know is the impatience of youth, and it must seem a long way off for him.

He’s thinking America/Canada then NZ/Aus and even thinking about applying for the British Antarctic Survey in a few years. Not quite sure what that entails but he’ll give it his best go, no doubt.

I can’t fault his enthusiasm.

From what I understand need a fair bit of financial backing. Unless changed need to have x £ in the bank to go over. There are college exchanges that can help also
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
Try and steer him towards a qualification like 'Business Management Studies' which will equip him for all kinds of future opportunities. He's doing his agriculture now and really should be encouraged to finish it, but it would not be the end of the world if he didn't. He just couldn't include his efforts up to now convincingly on his CV. Bit of a wasted opportunity.
All the vocational qualifications can come after and as needed for whatever job he got. The main thing is to have plenty of substance to his CV. Yes if he has time, get a few vocational qualifications on the side, as varied as sprayer to outdoor pursuits instructor. It adds up to showing versatility and ability and a perseverance to stick to things until the job is successfully done.

Do not show the opposite, if you see what I mean.
 
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4course

Member
Location
north yorks
He might not be keen now but some form of qualification will definitely be a benefit in the long run. Try and get him to do some form of management option too, rather than just practical, as that's becoming more vital by the day. Can't work outdoors if indoors isn't sorted.
absolutely , management of resources wether physical , financial animal or human is the key to running a business wether farm related or not and basically its the same skill whatever business,you still need the practical farm experience but its the other that will help anyone move onwards and upwards, brains and brawn in agriculture are both needed
 
Get him to look at apprenticeships. When I left school I wanted to be a "blacksmith" and there was no way I was going to uni. 15 years later I have an apprenticeship, a HNC, level 2 and 3 NVQ, a BEng Hons in mechanical engineering and a master's in material science. ALL paid for by employer. I'm currently studying for a PhD in the area.

I found I enjoyed the work, but all of a sudden the college work linked up with real life. It wasn't about the paperwork then. It was how does stuff work? And how can I make this better? Developing my understanding in a way that was and is useful to me.

On the side I farm with my dad and have got a little business where I can use my hands-on skills to make some beer tokens.

I really can not recommend apprenticeships enough.
 

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