Riseholme College launches Agricultural mentoring programme

Riseholme College are excited to announce the launch of an inspiring new mentoring programme for their Agriculture degree students and are looking for experienced farmers to participate.

The new scheme which is the brainchild of Higher Academic Lead for Land Based, Sharon Kirby, is designed to leverage the considerable agricultural expertise within the local area. To harness this knowledge to empower and inspire the next generation of farmers, the college is looking to recruit experienced famers to act as mentors to second and third year degree level students.

As a member of the Institute of Agricultural Managers, a panel member of the Lincolnshire Young Farmers Association, and sitting on the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology Research and Innovation Committee, Sharon is at the cutting edge of advancements and developments within the industry. The exposure she has to the wealth of experience within the region inspired her to develop the programme, “Being surrounded by highly skilled agricultural professionals never fails to be motivational and inspiring,” she said “The insight and understanding they possess, will provide invaluable learnings for students, that only the advantage of years of experience can provide.”

As a mentor, farmers will support the students as they develop from being an undergraduate to an employable graduate ready for industry, imparting their knowledge and wisdom along the way. The employer mentoring scheme will offer the students the opportunity to meet with an experienced agricultural professional, who has relevant industry experience relating to their course.

Sharon is confident that employers will also benefit greatly from being involved, experiencing an employer/mentee relationship that will allow students to increase their employability skills through gaining a close insight into a particular job or sector. She said “Having worked in education for many years nothing beats the reward of seeing a student flourish and develop to progress onto a successful career. Farmers participating within the scheme will get to share in this, helping to open students’ eyes to the possibilities available to them.”

The mentoring scheme is just the latest addition to the land-based provision at the college, working with local farmers to develop the skills of the current agricultural workforce and invest in the next generation. Investment of £1.2m in the Institute of Technology, Centre for Agri-Food Technology at the college’s Showground campus is already delivering higher-level skills and training through the very latest technologies designed to transform food production by improving productivity and reducing environmental impact.

Assistant Principal Higher Education Rachael Fell-Chambers said “At Riseholme College we are committed to preparing our students for the world of work beyond our walls. The introduction of this fantastic programme will add an additional layer of experience for our students; working hand in glove with our hands-on higher-level specialist education, delivered by our expert team, many of whom have worked extensively within industry themselves. I am excited to see the benefits students and employers alike will undoubtedly derive from this opportunity.”

Any famers interested in participating in the scheme are encouraged to contact Sharon Kirby, who will be leading the programme for more information. Sharon.kirby@riseholme.ac.uk

 To find out more about our degree level Agriculture courses take a look HERE.