Major New Project to Train Future Farmers

AN East Yorkshire college has revealed details of a major new project to help train the next generation of farmers.

Bishop Burton College, with support from the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), is investing in new technology and upgrading its ICT infrastructure

The £650,000 project, which includes funding of £400,000 from the LEP, will enable students and the range employers the college works with to take advantage of innovative technology needed in the delivery of precision agriculture.

This will include the use of drones to evaluate crop growth and virtual combine harvesters and tractors to develop students’ knowledge and skills.

The funding will also be used to improve connectivity around the campus, to further improve the overall student experience at the college.

Chief Executive and Principal, Bill Meredith, said: “This is tremendous news, not only for the college and its students, but also the wider agricultural industry.

“This project will enable students and businesses to enhance their precision farming skills, which are essential for growth and sustainability in the post-Brexit era.

“Bishop Burton College is committed to training the country’s future farmers, providing them with the skills, expertise and experience they will need to be successful in the sector.

“I would like to thank the LEP for its invaluable support, which will help us do this.”

To identify industry needs, the college spoke with 120 employers. Examples of the identified skills needed include;

Precision farming
Crop husbandry and nutrition
Fertiliser and chemical application
Engineering technology
Sustainability
Digital skills.

As a result of this work, the college has adapted its curriculum and developed training modules which can be delivered online, including for apprentices in the workplace.

Modules will include real-time data made available from the college’s own commercial farm, with quick an easy transfer possible following the investment in ICT.

Mr Meredith added: “This will help students to understand how technical data can be used to better target agricultural inputs, improve yields and minimize environmental impact.

“The demand for innovative, hands-on training of this kind will underpin the growth in Higher Apprenticeships and workplace training programmes. The agriculture sector will be a major beneficiary of this project.”

The college, near Beverely, runs a variety of agriculture programmes, ranging from short courses and apprenticeships to BTECs and degrees.

Students benefit from working on the college’s 360-hectare mixed use farm, which is split between arable and grassland for livestock.

It also runs courses in a wide variety of other subject areas, including animal management, engineering and equine.