Success at Work-based Awards

The work-based learning team is celebrating recent success at the Lincolnshireand Rutland Skills Awards which took place on 19th April.

Four of our Apprentices were short-listed.

Lee Friend (Level 2 Agricultural Apprentice) won the title of Apprentice of the Year for Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care.

Liam Bradley (Level 2 Horticultural Apprentice) won the Personal Achiever of the Year award.

Ben Newton and Alex Anderson (both Level 3 Apprentices) were runners up in the Apprentice of the Year category.

Nick Shorter from Velcourt

Nick Shorter from Velcourt came in to talk to the Level 3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture learners about the agricultural business & the graduate training scheme they have to offer our learners.

The talk was in depth about how the company has developed over the years with discussions about what makes a good farm manager.  Learners were able to appreciate how difficult farming is in Eastern Europe & Russia after some of the stories that Nick told.  One story included that one of the staff members had smuggled a live calf off the farm in the back of his car boot!

Feedback from learners was excellent; who knows we may see some of our learners working for Velcourt in the future…

Second year agriculture students begin chemical applications

The second year agriculture students started applying chemical to their sugar beet crop this week.  The first application was a pre-emergence tackling broad leaved weeds to help the crop with emergence without competition of weed growth.  The group have planned up to a further three applications through the summer term.

The aim and purpose of this exercise is for the students to see the effects and importance of chemical as one of the contributing factors for optimum yield at harvest.

Agriculture students plant their spuds

This week a handful of agriculture students have planted a small area of potatoes. In total there are 11 different varieties that the students have planted. These varieties will be trialed by the group looking at blight issues the crop may have and how each variety will yield given the lack of rain we are having at the moment.

Harry Smith (EDAG 2) said “The lack of moisture is going to be our biggest problem.”

 

 


Dragon’s Den

Riseholme College students will compete against each other in a Dragon’s Den competition in April.

The event is part of the business curriculum and will include students from Agriculture, Equine and Animal Management courses. Learners must come up with an idea that is both innovative and beneficial.

The “Den” will consist of a Panel of business experts including Paul Collins from Lincoln based Belvoir Lettings who is also sponsoring the £150 cash first prize.  Retford Saddlery are also sponsoring 3 runners up prizes each worth £60.