The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) held its 14th annual Opportunities in Horticulture careers fair for students studying horticulture and floristry at its Greenmount Campus in Co. Antrim.
Horticulture has been taught at CAFRE for 100 years, while floristry courses have been taught for 25 years.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Charted Institute of Horticulture.
Acting head of horticulture at CAFRE, David Dowd said: “The future for horticulture is an exciting one. There are many challenges facing the world today and horticulture plays a crucial role in solving them.
“From sustainably feeding the nation, to promoting good mental health and wellbeing and fighting climate change. There has never been a more exciting time to choose a career in horticulture,” he added.
CAFRE
Throughout the day, talks were held by the chair of the Institute of Flowers, Fionnuala McAuley, director of marketing at Overdevest Nurseries, David Wilson, and president of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture (CIH), David Richardson.
Following the three guest speakers, there was a brief panel discussion based on extracurricular achievements of five CAFRE students.
After the talks, the students attended the careers fair which attracted over 30 exhibits. Businesses included a broad range of horticulture employers, with many promoting student work placements or graduate employment.
CAFRE lecturer Caithriona McCrudden said: “I wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to all the speakers, employers and organisations who participated in our Opportunities in Horticulture careers day.”
“Your enthusiasm to be part of it provided invaluable support and our students an excellent platform to engage with businesses. It was truly an inspiring day,” she concluded.
Greenmount Campus, Co. Antrim offers horticulture courses from level 2 through to a BSc degree level. The campus is hosting an open day on Wednesday, March 26.
