Kaleb Cooper announced as special guest for Intro to Ag Fair
Kaleb Cooper has been announced as a special guest for the inaugural Intro to Ag Fair, set to take place next month.
Students from across the country who took part in the Intro to Ag Transition Year (TY) programme - which was developed by Agri Aware and the Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) - will get to show their projects to Cooper and fellow judges.
These students will be in with a chance of being crowned the national winner of the Intro to Ag programme.
The Intro to Ag TY programme is designed to encourage students to take up agricultural science for senior cycle.
It also introduces students to Further Education and Training (FET) pathways, and career opportunities within the agri-sector.
The Intro to Ag Fair will showcase the learnings from the TY programme.
It will also demonstrate to stakeholders in the agri-food sector "the work Agri Aware and LOETB are actively implementing in this area of second level education," the organisers said.
Special guests
At the event, Cooper will discuss his journey to date from becoming a farmer and contractor in the Cotswolds, to appearing on the hit Prime Video series 'Clarkson’s Farm' to travelling to the other side of world, sharing how he has helped to shine a light on the agricultural sector in the UK and further afield.
Cooper will be joined by beef and tillage farmer and YouTube sensation Philip Stewart, otherwise known as ‘Farmer Phil’, while Katie Gleeson, also known as ‘Katie in the Country’, will chair the panel.
Agri Aware chair Shay Galvin said he had “great pleasure" in announcing the special guests that would join the event to "celebrate the ongoing work of promoting the agri-food sector in secondary schools, in this instance in the TY space".
“Days like this are a unique opportunity to showcase the brilliant work ongoing at second level education to promote the agri-food sector and encourage the youth of today to consider a career in the sector.”
LOETB chief executive Joe Cunningham said: “Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board are proud to partner with Agri Aware on our agricultural schools' initiatives.
"Initiatives like the Intro to Ag programme are essential in supporting young people to make informed decisions about their future, highlighting the diverse pathways available through further and higher education and training, as well as the wide-ranging career opportunities open to them.
“We’re delighted to host this event with Agri Aware and look forward to celebrating student achievement and engagement, alongside some special guests.”
The Intro to Ag Fair will take place at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Monday, April 13.
