Suffolk’s best farm apprentices have less than a month to get their entries in for a prestigious county award.
The search is on to find the third Suffolk Agricultural Apprentice of the Year as part of an annual competition.
The first contest was held in 2015, and three years on, the organisations behind it, Suffolk Agricultural Association, Easton and Otley College and Fram Farmers, say it plays a key role in promoting farming apprenticeships.
Easton and Otley apprenticeship ambassador Nicola Currie, who spearheads the initiative, says it has got bigger and better every year.
“Every year the competition gets more and more difficult to judge as the standard consistently improves,” she said.
“From a college point of view we are keen to promote the fact that farming is a wonderful industry to work in and apprenticeships are a real alternative to university and A-levels.
“Previous success stories in this competition have been shining exemplars of what can be achieved by following this educational path and I’m sure the winners from this year will be just as impressive.”
Suffolk Agricultural Association chief executive Phillip Ainsworth, said: “We are proud to support this important competition which aims to put apprenticeships and farming on the map. We need to attract the best people into our industry and so it makes perfect sense for us to get behind it.”
Richard Ansnscombe, chief executive of farming co-operative Fram Farmers said they are committed to helping highlight the benefits of apprenticeships in Suffolk to give the industry the skilled labour force it needs.
The first winner, Craig Thompson, said winning was a “huge honour”.
The winner of the competition will receive a trophy, £100.00 and two tickets to the 2018 Suffolk Show and a chain saw proficiency course, the runner up receives £50 and two tickets to the Suffolk Show. The awards also aim to highlight career opportunities in farming to teachers and young people.
A video of the winners is shown in schools and at career evenings to illustrate the wide scope of a career in agriculture. This can be viewed on the college website at: https://www.eastonotley.ac.uk/supporting-business/
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