Mhairi Dalgliesh (20), a third year BSc Agriculture student from Thornhill in Dumfries and Galloway, is currently enjoying her 10 week placement with the Ayr office of SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College. She is spending the summer helping in the busy centre, shadowing experienced consultants and deciding if a job on the SAC Consulting Team is what she wants to do when she finishes her honours degree course in 2017.
Mhairi, who is studying at SRUC’s Ayr Campus, is one of three SRUC students gaining summer work experience in an SAC Consulting offices this summer.
Mhairi is finding the work interesting with lots of variety. “It’s great fun and I am learning new things at the same time. I have been involved in a range of tasks including completing nutrient plans and grant applications as well as visiting farms to take soil and silage samples for analysis. I have also completed a Labour Requirement Report to support a planning application for a new house.
“It has been useful in letting me see the variety of work carried out by consultants, as well as being very useful to put into practice the information taught on the degree course.
“It has been really enjoyable and although mainly based at Ayr, I have also been working at the Lanark, Dumfries and Stranraer offices.”
Andrew Leggate, Assistant Regional Manager with SAC Consulting in south Scotland is an enthusiastic supporter of the scheme. “This year we had 11 students competing for the three places funded with bursaries from the SRUC Trust which also helps support the students in their final year.
“We have a number of full time staff in our 23 Scottish offices who started this way. It is a chance for students to learn what being a consultant involves and for us see their potential.
“The students are very helpful during their placements and carry out a range of tasks ranging from soil and silage sampling to form filling and other administrative tasks. All our consultants enjoy the students’ youthful enthusiasm.”
Equally supportive is Andrew’s colleague from SRUC’s Education Division Sonia Filby, Student Experience Manager. “The scheme is now in its 12th year and generates strong interest as students hear from each other about its value and the opportunities it brings. It helps us to provide invaluable insight into job opportunities with SRUC and elsewhere.
“We have been very impressed with the considerable agriculture experience and knowledge our students demonstrate, together with their enthusiasm for the sector and the opportunities it presents for their futures.”
Mhairi, who comes from an upland beef and sheep farm in Dumfries and Galloway, is now intrigued by the possibility of working as a consultant after graduating. “When I finish my degree I am looking for a career that offers variety and agricultural consultancy certainly fits that bill.”
Photo caption: SRUC Ayr student Mhairi Dalgliesh coring a silage pit as part of her placement with SAC Consulting.
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