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Hillsborough student catches up with his NZ hosts at college

Harvey Allen and David McCord (back row) with Wim and Carla Verbane and family during their visit to Greenmount Campus.

Harvey Allen and David McCord (back row) with Wim and Carla Verbane and family during their visit to Greenmount Campus.

A HILLSBOROUGH student met the family he lived with during a stay in New Zealand at Greenmount recently.

David McCord spent eight months on Wim and Carla Verbane's farm after completing his National Diploma in Agriculture at Greenmount in 2003.

On returning from New Zealand David took up a full time post in the dairy unit at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)

National and Higher National Diploma courses in Agriculture at the Greenmount Campus of the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), include one year's work experience.

Wim and Carla from Ashburton on the South Island, New Zealand manage a herd of 1240 cows on 322 hectares at Quintag Holdings Ltd. They take students on work experience from all over the world and have accommodated Greenmount students for the last ten years.

Wim says Greenmount students have a very positive attitude to work and he 'would rate them among the best they have had'.

The work experience gives students a real experience in the commercial world and is a most valuable part of their course.

Students on the National Diploma (NDA) course are normally 17 years old while Higher National Diploma (HND) students are a little older. The HND course requires students to spend at least three months of their work experience on an industry placement, a milk processor or a commercial farm. Students also spend a year working overseas after they have completed their course at CAFRE.

For more information on diploma courses or other courses at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise visit its website at www.cafre.ac.uk, or use the freephone number 080 0028 4291

Ulster Star
15/06/2007