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Agriculture & Farming
Agriculture and Farming
Agriculture is more than just farming; it is one of the world’s biggest businesses. There are over 200 different career areas available in agriculture and presently there is a very high demand throughout the industry for educated, practically skilled and motivated young people.
Approximately 450,000 people work in the UK agricultural industry, of which almost 300,000 are in managerial or partnership roles within a farming enterprise. Choosing to study agriculture will provide a fulfilling and interesting career choice and it will also open the doors to many other industries, due to the broad education, skills and training that you will experience.
Fronlas Farm at Newtown College operates a 140-hectare working upland sheep and beef farm which allows students to gain up-to-date practical experience that reflects the agriculture industry of mid Wales and the small and medium enterprises in which most agricultural and agricultural engineering students find employment.
The farm boasts a range of purpose-built classrooms as well as cattle and sheep housing and state-of-the-art handling facilities.
What will I do?
Our courses are extremely hands on, and also allow you to gain valuable work in the landbased sector. At College you will cover areas such as livestock production, crop production, estate maintenance, and tractor and machinery maintenance and operations. These subjects will be delivered by our lecturers who possess extensive industry knowledge of modern production systems as well as cutting-edge IT technologies, including drones and GPS systems.
Many of our students progress to higher education either at the College studying the HND in Agriculture course, or other institutions to study other agriculture-related degrees.
Career opportunities
On completing an agriculture course, students can choose from a wide range of practical career paths within the UK agricultural sector, including farm manager, livestock manager, nutritionist, agronomist, farm consultant, farm inspector, and auctioneer.
We also offer extensive opportunities for estate skills, conservation and diversification. The farm carries around 150 beef cattle, including a suckler herd and a beef finishing enterprise, and 750 breeding sheep rearing around 1,200 lambs.
Newtown College's Themes Restaurant is supplied with both beef and lamb from the farm. The farm also supplies both Morrisons and Sainsbury’s supermarkets with lamb throughout the year.
12 June Open Farm Sunday 2022
Congratulations to Newtown College’s Elin Orrells who was announced Lantra Wales College Young Learner of the Year U26 at a glittering ceremony in the Metropole Hotel. In addition to this, Elin received the School of Catering, Hospitality and Agriculture departmental vocational bursary.
Elin attended the prestigious awards ceremony with members of her family and teaching staff from the College Agriculture department. Elin said: "I am very proud to have been nominated for this award and it is thanks to all the help I have received from the tutors when studying for my L3 Extended Diploma in Agriculture." "The lecturers at the College have inspired me to take every opportunity available to develop my farming knowledge and encouraged me to participate in a number of competitions."
Martin Watkin, the College’s Land Based Estates Manager, said: "Elin is an excellent student who is determined to forge a career in the agriculture industry. Elin has proven to be an enthusiastic and hardworking student who participates in all practical farm activities at the College and produces assignments of a high standard."
Courses
Career-Focused Courses Level Entry Requirements C&G Agricultural Engineering 2 Level 1 qualification or GCSE Agriculture or relevant experience
C&G Diploma in Agriculture 2 Level 1 qualification or GCSE Agriculture or relevant experience
C&G Extended Diploma in Agriculture C&G Extended Diploma in Countryside Management 3 5 GCSEs at C or above to include Maths and English
3 5 GCSEs at C or above to include Maths and English
Duration Location
2 Years Newtown
2 Years Newtown
2 Years Newtown
2 Years Newtown
Average annual earnings
Farm Worker Wage £27k Farm Manager £34K
*This is based on national data “I am just completing the Level 3 in Agriculture and have had such a fabulous experience on the working farm here. I was a runner up in the Llantra Cymru Awards and am now applying to go to University” Emma Morgan-Page
