Newtown College (Part of NPTC Group of Colleges) is one of few Colleges that offer a working farm facility, and whilst traditionally there have been higher numbers in boys attending the Agricultural courses there has been an increasing trend of girls taking up places.
This year girls have been in the majority of those that have enrolled on to the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Agriculture, a two-year course where students can go on into direct employment or continue to University.
Former Agriculture student at Newtown College, Elin Orrells is now one of the many women who have broken new grounds. She has taken her next step by joining the University of Aberystwyth as a first-year studying BSc in Agriculture with Business Management in a record year for women joining the agriculture course.
Elin, from Montgomery says, “I am unsure of exactly which area of the industry I want to pursue in the future; however, I thoroughly look forward to being able to learn more about the innovative work undertaken at the University and IBERS.”
In 2019 Elin was named LANTRA Cymru’s College Young Learner. Enthusiastic about starting the course Elin adds: “In the longer term, my vision is to support the industry in ensuring that the wider population are reliably educated about the source of their food and the role of the industry on human health.”
We also congratulate Rhian Williams a former Level 3 student who completed her L3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture in June and has recently secured a full-time job at Teme Valley Tractors in Welshpool who supply and sell an extensive range of new and used agricultural machinery.
Within the UK, agriculture has been a largely male-dominated industry with the numbers continuously on the rise for female farmers.
Sue Lloyd Jones, Head of School for Hospitality, Catering, Agriculture, and Horticulture said ‘It’s wonderful to see so many of our students going forward into the industry. We continue to see a rise in girls joining the Agriculture courses. They benefit from learning together, forming strong friendships and support for one another.’
The United Nation’s International Day of Rural Women was recently held on the 15th of October. This is one of many ways the industry is reaching out to women to off support and solidarity. In Wales, Farming Connect offer support to women to develop their potential and contribute to the many opportunities that exist within not only the farming, food, and forestry businesses but also within their wider rural communities. There are also social media groups to share experiences for women in agriculture such as #agriwomen24
We wish both Elin and Rhian the best of luck in their new adventures!
If you’re interested in pursuing a career in agriculture, take a look at our list of courses: Click Here For More
