Agricultural Mechanisation Degree Course
As the Leaving Certificate exams continue, it is timely to remind those students interested in pursuing a career in the service role within the farm machinery industry that the closing date for application to the Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Mechanisation) course in IT Tralee will be on Friday, August 17th.
The course is a direct entry program and to apply for a place on the course potential students must have been accepted by a sponsoring farm machinery business which will provide the required work placements. Successful applicants will also have a Leaving Certificate with minimum grade O6/H7 in English or Gaeilge, O6/H7 in Mathematics and O6/H7 in three other subjects. In practice a relatively high level of mathematical ability will be an advantage during the course and candidates entering the course with better Maths results are likely to fare better over time. While this is not an engineering course, engineering fundamentals lie at the core of many of the concepts taught and, as such, a strong mathematical base is important to enable the student to get the most from the course.
Applicants may be required to attend for interview as part of the application / admission process and offers of places on the course will be subject to the candidate achieving the required standard in their Leaving Certificate results. Application forms and further information are available from the Courses section of the IT Tralee website.
FTMTA is encouraging member firms of the Association to support the course and is asking that any firms planning to take on trainees for the service role from this year’s school leavers consider this route which is specifically designed to produce the agricultural technicians required by the industry for the future. The course is a mix of college based learning and work placement over the three years with the student required to carry out a substantial body of online learning when on work placement. FTMTA believes that this course will produce the calibre of qualified personnel required by the industry and its customers in the future. The machinery sold by our industry continues to evolve and develop and requires the support of highly skilled service personnel. The first cohort of students entered what was then a new course in 2015 and those who have successfully progressed through the course are now nearing graduation.
The Association advises that interested secondary school leavers should use the Member Links page of the FTMTA website at www.ftmta.ie to identify FTMTA member farm machinery businesses in their area to approach regarding work placements. A written request in relation to the required work placement sponsorship should be sent to the dealer principal or, in the case of larger businesses, to the service manager. This should be followed up by a request to meet in person with the decision maker on such matters in the business. Gary Ryan, FTMTA Chief Executive, stresses that, in his view, a better impression is normally made when the applicant makes contact with the potential sponsor directly rather than leaving it to parents.
Be a part of a stronger, professional, farm machinery industry – join the Farm Tractor and Machinery Trade Association – contact FTMTA at 045 409309 or membership@ftmta.ie for details.
