Opportunities / options for school leavers

[Boysground]

Thanks for all the replies so far - we're taking the various viewpoints on board.

Personally, I was enrolled to do a degree at Seale Hayne but once I started working with my year's practical, there was no way I was going back studying.
I don't regret not going, though I do wish I'd spent some time working abroad (and not just tractor driving!)
But I worked for some good farmers in various guises and believe that gave me a good standing. Also worked closely with my vet in terms of trial work etc right from the start of keeping my own stock. Farming skipped a generation in my family so I didn't have any "coming home" option.

Daughter has always taken a keen interest at home and has reared her own calves, has a small free range laying flock, and now also has a couple of sows and 2 in calf heifers.
In her shoes I would probably want to stay home and develop my business and job around locally.
But I would like to encourage her to look further afield to gain wider experience for a bit in some way.

Might be an idea to look at a 2 year foundation degree. It would be a good start and then your daughter can take stock and decide where she wants to go from there. I am biased towards continuing education though. I was very impressed with Hartpury when my son was there, they have a big open day in June it may be worth a family day out.

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[waterbuffalofarmer]

Ok, so 2nd daughter wants to go farming, currently doing A levels but undecided if she wants to go ag college.
Going to organise some open day trips to ag colleges (any suggestions as to which to look at for livestock orientated courses?)

But what other options or opportunities are out there besides just looking for work locally?
Even if there was capacity for her to come home to work (which there isn't currently) I'd want her to get out into the big wide world for some experience first.

Are there organisations to go to if looking for opportunities to work abroad?
Even voluntary/ charity stuff that's ag based?
Scholarships or similar?

Just looking at options for her currently - still first year of A levels so there's time to consider it.
Not looking to push her in any particular direction, but give her some ideas to consider.

Thanks

There is WWOOF ING we had a few students on neighbouring farms doing work experience, foreign students you can do anything really tbh, plenty of opportunities in agriculture, wine making, cheesemaking, shepherding, goatherding, everything really tbh. Just need to be careful who they go to. Tbh I wouldn't let my daughter go abroad being that young, by herself... But that's just my opinion...

 

[Sid]

Thanks for all the replies so far - we're taking the various viewpoints on board.

Personally, I was enrolled to do a degree at Seale Hayne but once I started working with my year's practical, there was no way I was going back studying.
I don't regret not going, though I do wish I'd spent some time working abroad (and not just tractor driving!)
But I worked for some good farmers in various guises and believe that gave me a good standing. Also worked closely with my vet in terms of trial work etc right from the start of keeping my own stock. Farming skipped a generation in my family so I didn't have any "coming home" option.

Daughter has always taken a keen interest at home and has reared her own calves, has a small free range laying flock, and now also has a couple of sows and 2 in calf heifers.
In her shoes I would probably want to stay home and develop my business and job around locally.
But I would like to encourage her to look further afield to gain wider experience for a bit in some way.

Think outside the box.
While at college i worked on dairy beef pig sheep and arable farms.
During my travels around the globe i worked on beef sheep dairy and arable including sugar cane!
Knowledge of running a sucessful business isn't just limited to working doing something you know.

Guy worked for in middle year at college was right next to Seale Hayne but wouldn't take a student from there as in his words " slackers".

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Thanks for all the replies so far - we're taking the various viewpoints on board.

Personally, I was enrolled to do a degree at Seale Hayne but once I started working with my year's practical, there was no way I was going back studying.
I don't regret not going, though I do wish I'd spent some time working abroad (and not just tractor driving!)
But I worked for some good farmers in various guises and believe that gave me a good standing. Also worked closely with my vet in terms of trial work etc right from the start of keeping my own stock. Farming skipped a generation in my family so I didn't have any "coming home" option.

Daughter has always taken a keen interest at home and has reared her own calves, has a small free range laying flock, and now also has a couple of sows and 2 in calf heifers.
In her shoes I would probably want to stay home and develop my business and job around locally.
But I would like to encourage her to look further afield to gain wider experience for a bit in some way.

That's interesting what your daughter is up to at home. I was similar, at 17, while at school, I had several milking goats, selling milk and cheese locally, as well as finishing a few store lambs and selling lamb boxes. This was the early 1980's, so I like to think that I was ahead of my time.

I went and sold the lot to go and work on a big local farm, prior to going to college (Harper). Sometimes I wonder where not selling up might have led, perhaps I could have become one of the big goat milk processing firms but hey ho, Harper was great, I learnt a lot about life and business and I've done okay.

 

[Jerry]

I agree with the business side of things, a good formal grounding in that is worth a lot. They are also highly transferable skills and sort after in all walks of life.

I did a degree in Agriculture and Business Studies, that enabled me to work outside ag for some time before I came back to the family farm. The ag bit of the degree was a doddle, the Business bit was hard work but well worth it. Shame they dont do a similar course now but I dont think anyone does??

And travel, again think outside the box, I did and instead of AUS and NZ I did 18 months split between Kenya and the US. So got exposed to milking 500 cows by hand out in the bush, getting first experience of conservation ag and soil management in testing conditions, designing and manufacturing ag kit, etc in Kenya to running the peach harvest and pack house, working on pecan harvest, growing cotton and peanuts, commercial timber work, etc in the US.

I would love to go to South America now, Brazil and Argentina would be the places to look at I think. I have a contact in Brazil in Ag if that is of any help.