The farming community needs to become more entrepreneurial in their approach to business and look at how other sectors innovate. Addressing this perceived gap, DCU Ryan Academy designed a ‘short practical interactive programme’ for farm owners and leaders in the agri-sector.
Organisers are keen to highlight that time is running out to register for the course which starts on June 4th.
With a strong focus on entrepreneurial skills, the Farm Entrepreneurship and Leadership Programme has evolved since its inception in 2012. The programme has gone from 5 days to a series of interactive workshops over 7 classroom days spread over a 12 week period. This is to allow time for group and individual projects and for participants to develop their ‘business model canvas’ (1 page business plan), which they will present on the final day of the programme.
Participants will also work on their own leadership and management styles and improve their communication skills. Workshops will also include; financial planning & funding models; marketing; opportunity recognition, corporate governance, business planning and project management. In addition, the programme invites guest speakers from non-agri related industries to talk about innovation in their sectors – a dinner and panel discussion will take place half way through the programme to encourage lively debate and the building of a new network of contacts and friends.
The Farm Entrepreneurship and Leadership Programe is accredited through FETAC at Level 6. The programme intake is 20 people max and starts on June 4th in the Ryan Academy in Citywest Business Campus. For more information log onto: www.ryanacademy.ie or call Niamh (01) 7006762.
Testimonials from Graduates:
The Farm Entrepreneurship and Leadership course equipped me with excellent tools for analysing all farm enterprises. The participants that joined me on the course were what brought it all together in the form of discussions and debates on numerous topics along with the course speakers. It gave me an huge encouragement and I gained skills needed to grasp opportunity in a growing agricultural industry in Ireland today.
Linda O’Neill (Dairy Consultant at LIC Ireland)
The “Farm Entrepreneurship Programme” at the Ryan academy immerses participants into a performance driven environment. It introduces farmers to new business development tools that are used successfully in the broader business community. The Ryan Academy staff the lecturers and the other participants will put you thinking about how to improve your business.
I strongly recommend it.
Walter Power (Tipperary)
The “Farm Entrepreneur and Leadership Programme” taught me to look at, and understand my own farm in a different way and also gave me a greater insight into how to analyse other enterprises. The field trip, the external speakers and the relationships with the other participants reinforced how much we can learn from other businesses.
Frank O’Mahony (Cork)
“I found the Farm Entrepreneurship program gave me a good dollop of practical business education in a supportive and friendly environment and am delighted that I did the course”.
Pat Ryan (Waterford)
