Bishop Burton College opens academy with JSR Farms to encourage young people in East Yorkshire to launch agricultural careers

Agricultural students in Yorkshire are set to benefit from new pathways into agricultural careers, as a result of a major new college partnership.
Bill Meredith, principal and chief executive of Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire, (pictured) welcomed the new academy with local employer JSR Farms. Picture by James Hardisty.Bill Meredith, principal and chief executive of Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire, (pictured) welcomed the new academy with local employer JSR Farms. Picture by James Hardisty.
Bill Meredith, principal and chief executive of Bishop Burton College in East Yorkshire, (pictured) welcomed the new academy with local employer JSR Farms. Picture by James Hardisty.

JSR Farms, based at Southburn near Driffield, has teamed up with nearby Bishop Burton College to launch an academy which will see future members of the farming industry’s workforce get practical experience.

Students will split their time between their academic studies and gaining work experience at JSR, which farms around 4,000 hectares of arable crops within a 20-mile radius of its headquarters to feed homegrown cereals to pigs.

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At the end of the 12-month programme, students will immediately start a competitively paid apprenticeship with JSR and will have future progression opportunities at the company, which also operates an international pig breeding venture, JSR Genetics.

Tim Rymer, chief executive of JSR Farms.Tim Rymer, chief executive of JSR Farms.
Tim Rymer, chief executive of JSR Farms.

Tim Rymer, chief executive of JSR Farms, said he hoped the new academy would encourage young people to develop careers in agriculture.

“Whether it is crop or pig husbandry, the JSR Academy offers individuals an opportunity to acquire practical knowledge and skills and join a company at the forefront of modern agriculture,” Mr Rymer said.

Bishop Burton College near Beverley is currently undertaking a refurbishment of its own pig unit and, as reported by The Yorkshire Post in October, it is making a £650,000 upgrade into new technologies to aid students.

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Bill Meredith, the college’s principal and chief executive, said: “We are committed to training current and future generations of farmers and this is a really exciting venture.

“This new academy will provide an opportunity to launch a career in agriculture with one of the leading businesses in the country.”

Participating students will study a range of modules which will lead to a framework of qualifications. Subjects will include pig production, animal health, plant biology and business and management.

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Applicants do not need any formal entry requirements but will have an interview to determine whether they are suitable for the programme.

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