Working with the new BUAS Education & Careers Coordinator, Jac Neill, we brought students to the renowned BUAS Ram sales, which are held at Kelso, in the Scottish Borders each September. It is a UK wide event with buyers from afar as Wales and Devon. This was a new opportunity for our students following DYW working with the Education Officer, who started in this new role during January 25
We aimed to create a new employer link, for agriculture and horticulture students or those interested in science and veterinary subjects, to businesses working in the sector, providing improved awareness of career pathways. Norbrook were the event sponsors and have an international base, with an early career’s apprenticeship scheme.
The day is a fast paced and a vital business event which meant the business had limited windows of time between auctions for the students, but with the help of the BUAS an meaningful rotation of talks, observations and discussions able to take place. We focused on creating opportunities for the students to speak to the businesses employees to hear directly about their study and career routes.
The feedback from the students and staff was very positive. It allowed senior students to connect to businesses less often associated with farming and speak to employees directly. The event is a key date in the industries calendar and gave the young people an opportunity to see their classroom studies in context.
Getting to hear about so many different experiences from the agricultural and veterinary field was what I enjoyed most- as we spoke to vets, nutrition companies, the data companies. I learnt about how many different jobs there are in the industry- especially veterinary medicine. I really enjoyed speaking to a girl from the nutrition company- about how she didn’t come from agricultural background and what her experience of coming into the industry was like. Thank you for having us, it was a really nice morning
Josie – S5‘I found the talk from Norbrook very interesting as it showed me that there are other pathways in vet medicine like pharmaceuticals…. The talks helped me learn about how detailed agriculture must be to run smoothly. I also learnt how there are so many branches that run off jobs related to agriculture and vet medicine’
Naomi – S5
‘I really appreciated how after the clearly well practised talks that everyone who spoke to us put a lot of effort into, I was able to have a down-to-earth chat with anyone I wanted about the future I see myself taking in agriculture and get some specific advice for the field I wish to pursue
Harris – S5
