Plumpton College to partner with Royal Agriculture University

Plumpton College in Sussex has announced a partnership with the Royal Agriculture University (RAU), in a bid to attract more students to agricultural and land-based courses.

Plumpton College to partner with Royal Agriculture University

A range of courses will be available up to post-graduate level at the Plumpton College campus, not far from Brighton, and the RAU will oversee validation of the degree courses.

The partnership aims to ‘enhance university education, research and consultancy for the land-based sector in the South East’, according to a joint statement.

Last year, Plumpton College highlighted the need to inform more school leavers about the potential career opportunities in wine, and the need for more skilled young people in the industry.

‘When researching what is understood of the land-based sector, career prospects and earning potential, we found that people had little knowledge of the range of careers available, and where a degree from an agricultural University or college could lead them,’ said Jeremy Kerswell, Principal, Plumpton College.

‘We are keen to attract more students into the sector; and challenge some of the perceptions people have about land based courses only suiting students who have grown up in the countryside.’

One of the first joint initiatives will be a summer school for A-level and college students, hosted at the RAU to raise awareness about land-based programmes.

‘We know that the [agricultural] sector is going to need at least 595,000 highly skilled new entrants to meet current demand,’ said professor Joanna Price, Vice-Chancellor, Royal Agricultural University.

‘Our impending EU exit may also increase this number.’

The first programs that the RAU will ‘certificate’ running from September 2018 are; FdA Wine Business; BA (Hons) International Wine Business FdSc Wine Production; BSc (Hons) Viticulture & Oenology and MSc Viticulture & Oenology.

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