RAU awarded rural training grant from The Prince Countryside Fund

Local young people in the Cirencester area are encouraged to apply for vocational rural skills training at the Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) new Rural Innovation Centre at Harnhill Manor Farm.

Local young people in the Cirencester area are encouraged to apply for vocational rural skills training at the Royal Agricultural University’s (RAU) new Rural Innovation Centre at Harnhill Manor Farm.

The University received a generous grant from The Prince’s Countryside Fund to support the delivery of short vocational courses aimed at introducing local young people, especially NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training) to agricultural and rural skills.

The Fund provides grants for projects that support young people, aged 16-24 who have an interest in the countryside, tackling areas of: rural isolation, low farming incomes, decline of rural communities and disconnection with the countryside.

The vocational training courses run by the University’s new Rural Innovation Centre are aimed at recruiting local people who would benefit from developing land based skills. The will be trained to a vocationally-related qualification at level 1 or 2.

Courses available include chainsaw maintenance, dry stone walling, hedge laying, hurdle making, blacksmithing, felling and processing trees etc.

The RAU’s Rural Innovation Centre is an integral part of the University’s learning in agriculture and land based industries, and caters for all levels of ability and offers courses to meet a wide range of needs in the rural economy. This grant will make a valuable contribution to the Centre and the array of support it can provide to the local and national rural community.

To find out more about the rural skills training, visit www.rau.ac.uk/study/training-courses/rural-skills. For applications, please email James.Foster@rau.ac.uk or call 01285 851576.