Students give rural living the thumbs-up

MOST of the agricultural science students who completed the Leaving Certificate plan to work or live in rural Ireland within the next 10 years, the findings of a survey have revealed.

Agri Aware, which conducted the survey of nearly 600 students, described the results as “Straight As for rural Ireland.” The survey indicated that 64% believe the countryside has enough to offer young people who want to live or work there, a 19% increase since 2006.

A total of 70% of students surveyed believe a qualification is imperative when pursuing a career in agriculture, but 74% criticised the current syllabus as outdated, with 54% indicating that the most desirable factor of a new one would be updated resources.