More than 200 people had applied for the six new teaching positions being offered by Teagasc in its agricultural colleges before last Friday’s closing date. A short-list of around 30 applicants will be drawn up by Teagasc today and they will be called for interview at Oak Park headquarters next week, Teagasc’s education head Paddy Browne has confirmed.
The six successful interviewees will be appointed as quickly as possible to allow for training to begin in late August and for teaching to begin on September 1. As part of the agreement to break the Government’s moratorium on recruitment, Teagasc must match the new posts by redeploying staff from other areas of the organisation to the colleges.
Agricultural college principals will find out tomorrow how many additional staff they will receive and they will then calculate how many extra college places they can offer students this September.
Meanwhile, more than 50 expressions of interest have been logged on the first day of Teagasc’s invitation to companies to tender for education contracts. Details of the tender document have been circulated to the Agricultural Science Association and the Agricultural Consultants Association and are available on www.etenders.gov.ie. Education providers are being given the chance to tender for contracts to provide education courses in agricultural mechanics, animal production science, beef production, fertiliser application, crop science and farm business organisation. Teagasc will provide all necessary teaching facilities including classrooms to the successful company. Closing date for interested parties is Wednesday, August 3.
– Caitriona Murphy
Source: Irish Independent
