Scoileanna

LAOIS and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) and Agri Aware are delighted to bring its new ‘Intro to Ag’ short course for Transition Year (TY) students nationwide this coming September. Following its’ successful pilot in Laois and Offaly ETB schools this year, the ‘Intro to Ag’ programme will be available for all TY students to register and engage with in September 2025, offering an exciting opportunity to inspire the next generation of agricultural innovators. The programme will kick off with a live webinar open to all teachers, providing a dedicated space to explore the programme’s content, ask questions and gain insights into how it can enhance student learning. What does the programme entail? The programme content has been designed to cover a wide range of topics and participants will be introduced to foundational concepts of agriculture, including the science of soils, crop production, livestock breeds and sustainable farming, while also exploring cutting-edge advancements such as the use of technology and AI in farming practices. To enhance learning, schools will be invited to register for onsite school workshops during the programme, where students can partake in practical agricultural demonstrations, delivered by Agri Aware Education Officers. In addition to the core learning modules, the programme will present engaging real-world student stories, career profiles and video content that showcase the diverse employment opportunities available within the agriculture and food sector. To further enhance the learning experience, a live ‘Intro to Ag’ webinar will be held once per school term. These sessions will allow students to explore agricultural and food-related careers in more depth and connect directly with professionals working across the sector, whether it’s hearing from livestock managers, vets, food scientists or agri-tech innovators. During these webinars, students will have the chance to ask questions, gain industry perspectives and visualise their own futures in agriculture. ‘Bridging the gap’ The ‘Intro to Ag’ programme was created to address the gap in agricultural education at the Junior Cycle level. While students have the opportunity to explore subjects they can continue at Senior Cycle – such as languages and science, practical subjects like woodwork and metalwork – agricultural science remains an exception. From the beginning of secondary school until 5th year, students do not have the option to study agricultural science. As a result, they encounter the subject at Senior Cycle, and only if they choose it as an optional subject to study. ‘Intro to Ag’ aims to capture TY students that are being lost as they don’t have an opportunity to see what the agriculture science subject entails and the importance of having that basic understanding of agriculture and food production. ‘Intro to Ag’ short course is being rolled out to give students a flavour for what it would be like to study agriculture science for the Leaving Certificate. It is the hope to increase the take up of students studying the subject at Leaving Certificate and pursuing a career in the sector. The programme is set to commence in September 2025. While students have the opportunity to explore subjects they can continue at Senior Cycle – such as languages and science, practical subjects like and metalwork – agricultural science remains an exception Intro to Ag was piloted in LOETB schools in 2024-2025 and was launched by the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue last August at the Tullamore Show. The programme will now be rolled out to schools nationwide in September 2025. If your school is interested in participating or would like more information, please fill out the expression of interest form using the QR code below or visit online: loetb.com/introtoag