Agricultural apprentices gain invaluable experience

Josh Fincham and Will Dyer are both agricultural apprentices at Kingston Mauward College.

Agricultural apprenticeships combine full time employment with one day a week study at college. Josh works on an estate within Dorset while Will works on the family dairy farm in Somerset.

"The course is really good and we are learning a lot," reflects Will. "We would not travel each week to learn nothing. We want to increase our knowledge and gain qualifications to either follow on with other courses or maybe gain experience abroad."

"I came into farming because my family said there is no money in agriculture," says Josh. "I want to prove people wrong by getting a good job and having a comfortable lifestyle. We don't want to go to work and do something we are not interested in, something which does not make us happy."

They were both attracted to the college by its high standards from recommendations by peers.

The agricultural apprenticeship comprises of an NVQ in mixed farming. It is in two parts – practical and theory.