After a decade, the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) Argyll has scrapped its National Certificate (NC) in Agriculture course due to a continuing lack of applicants.
The further and higher education provider had decided to run the full-time course in 2023/24 for one final year but when only three students enrolled, it was cancelled and permanently removed from the curriculum.
The course aimed to give students an all-round learning experience of up-to-date farming methods, teaching them about on-farm quality Scottish food production, and equip them to begin working in agriculture or continue their education to complete a Higher National Certificate (HNC).
In a statement, a UHI spokesperson said: “UHI Argyll had already taken the decision to actively seek alternatives to full-time delivery of the agriculture curriculum due to an ongoing downward trend in application numbers.
“It had already been agreed that 2023 would be the final year for the NC in Agriculture, as our staff sought to meet the demand of seven applicants, however, when only three students actually turned up to enrol, it was clear that we would be unable to run the course.
“The late withdrawal of the NC Agriculture course is extremely regrettable, and we understand the implications for those students affected. We have offered to reimburse anyone left out of pocket, e.g. for travelling expenses.
“We continue to view our land-based curriculum as critically important to the economy of Argyll and are developing new learning opportunities to suit the needs of residents of our geographically fragmented region.”
The course, which has been running in Campbeltown since the 2012/13 academic year, was delivered as a hybrid model of live online classes covering theory, and intensive on-farm blocks of practical learning at a farm near Campbeltown.
“Even with this approach, many applicants have withdrawn because of the difficulty in travelling for the practical lessons, which is why workplace training options are now being explored,” said the spokesperson.
“We continue to deliver rural skills courses as part of our schools link activity, which is critical in attracting young people into the industry.”
The spokesperson confirmed that no redundancies have resulted from the cancellation of the course.