A career in agriculture, horticulture or forestry can be very rewarding and fulfilling. You will have an opportunity to develop a lifestyle which competes very favourably with other professions, particularly with regard to quality of life and job satisfaction.
There is a very broad range of occupations in this sector. Below is a just sample of some of the popular occupations and those currently in demand:
See Occupations Database and search by sector for a comprehensive list.
Employment contacts in the sector vary with opportunities to work
Civil service jobs in the agrifood sector are advertised through the Public Appointments Service, in the national newspapers and through publicjobs.ie.
For Teagasc opportunities, click here.
The wider public and private sector advertise widely in national newspapers and through employment agencies.
Click here to read 'Stepping Stones to a Career in Horticulture'
In primary agriculture, this is dependent on whether you are full time or part time, the commodity produced and the size of the farm.
In the private sector, earnings are dependent on the labour market.
Generally the following applies:
For more information see Teagasc National Farm Survey
Teagasc is unrivalled in the depth of knowledge and expertise it can draw on to support your education. Teagasc is at the cutting edge of research and knowledge transfer for the land and agri-food sectors. Teagasc engages with all land sector areas including farming, agricultural mechanisation, horticulture, forestry and equine.
Teaching and learning is typically split 50:50 between classroom and outdoor practical instruction. Our practical instruction allows mutual interaction to develop between tutors and students in a ‘hands on’ learning environment.
We strongly encourage the development of problem solving, decision making and planning capabilities, utilising discussion groups, visits to external farms and other facilities and external speakers in our delivery approach.
As a full-time student you will also spend time away from the college on a host farm or unit. This is called a Practical Learning Period (PLP) and is part of our Level 5 and Level 6 programmes. Our students particularly value the real life experience gained from their PLP. For Level 6 programmes we encourage and facilitate students to complete their PLP overseas. Our PLP programmes are delivered through a network of over 1,000 registered host farms and units.
Work based learning is a major component of Teagasc apprenticeships programmes.
Apprentices are employed with a SOLAS approved employer and earn as they learn.
Research farms have been developed at a number of colleges. There are also specialised resources and facilities at Teagasc’s two horticultural colleges to enable hands-on learning for horticultural learners and likewise for the equine and forestry programmes at the relevant college. Our adult part-time and distance education courses are delivered across Teagasc’s 12 advisory regions and the agricultural college network.
Teagasc offers more than an education. After graduation, we encourage you to avail of our advisory and research services, discussion group network and continuous professional development programmes for farmers and growers. If you take up a career in the wider agri-food sector we encourage you to avail of the Teagasc ConnectEd programme.
Further updates will be published on the Teagasc website, or by contacting your local agricultural or horticultural college.
