New RDPE Grant Funding Available for short courses

As the Managing Authority for the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Defra has released the 2013-2014 round of grant funding to assist farmers, commercial horticulturalists and foresters with training for business improvement. Plumpton College is delighted to be included as a contract holder, as a member of a consortium of training providers and a delivery partner with Lantra. Grant funded training will be provided at the main College campus at Plumpton, at the Flimwell and Netherfield out-centres and across England, via our partners.

There is a wide and diverse range of training opportunities available, for example businesses can benefit from a more in-depth knowledge of energy efficiency, nutrient management, water use, waste reduction and waste management, climate change adaption and mitigation. Courses include On Farm Cheese Processing, Sustainable Beef Farming Systems and Climate Change – Impact on Arable Farming. And for forestry and woodland managers and workers there are a wide range of forest related courses from generating an income from coppice, to strategies for dealing with pests and diseases in woodland.

The training courses are for anyone involved in agriculture, horticulture and forestry with the following eligibility provisos:-

Attendees must be engaged in a business or employed by an organisation or social enterprise which is dependent on agriculture or woodland or utilises any woodland or forest products and have left full time education, be over 18 (although in some instances 16 -17 year olds are eligible if not in an apprenticeship and have left full time education). Self-declaration will be required that they intend to work in the agriculture or forestry sectors within 6 months of receiving training.

Courses can be taken as an adjunct to a standard apprenticeship, to improve the training and knowledge transfer currently being undertaken by new entrants to the sector.

For more information and to discuss your requirements and eligibility please contact Don Cranfield on 01273 892031 or Sarah Blackford on 01580 879547.

This project is supported by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) for which Defra is the Managing Authority, part funded (or financed) by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; Europe investing in rural areas.