Wiltshire College & University Centre (WCUC) has been recognised by a group of industry experts for the commitment to student development at the Lackham campus.
WCUC won the Team Achievement Award when The Institution of Agricultural Engineers (IAgrE) annual awards were held back in May but were unable to attend the ceremony, and instead received their prize at a special event on campus at the start of the new academic year.
The IAgrE is a registered charity working for the public benefit through bringing together academics, practitioners and industry to share knowledge and promote professionalism in the advancement and application of technology in the land-based sector. They are a professional membership organisation with grades for all those working in, or with an interest in agriculture and the environment.
Lackham is WCUC’s specialist land-based campus, which is set in 500 acres of Wiltshire countryside and offers a wide range of courses, including in agriculture, animal care, equine, horticulture and land-based engineering.
The Team Achievement Award recognises successful teamwork and demonstrates what can be achieved through collaboration. In their citation, IAgrE gave glowing praise to WCUC and highlighted the quality of high-specification equipment and facilities available to students looking to pursue a career in the land-based sector.
The full citation read: “With well over 300,000 dairy cattle located in the South West, Lackham is ideally positioned in offering Higher National courses in Dairy Engineering to students.
“A partnership agreement with prominent stakeholders Delaval and TH White ensures that the course will deliver on both academic and industry requirements.
“The sector requires high calibre engineers to ensure dairy farmers can exploit all opportunities in a challenging and volatile marketplace. Particularly as milk prices have reached an all-time high, and energy costs show little signs of abating.
“The recent £9 million investment into facilities includes a working robotic milking unit with downstream transfer to refrigerated bulk tank storage. Situated alongside the working dairy, state-of-the-art lecturing facilities provide students with up-to-date information on how technology influences herd performance.
“All these initiatives were only possible with the hard work, determination, and commitment from all those involved with the management and student development at Lackham.
“The IAgrE is keen to follow the progress of those achieving qualifications in Dairy Engineering and will provide support wherever possible to promote the offering.”
Chris Thompson, Executive Director – Chippenham and Lackham at Wiltshire College & University Centre, said: “We are delighted to have won the Team Achievement Award and received such positive recognition from The Institution of Agricultural Engineers.
“We pride ourselves on providing students with the best possible opportunities at our Lackham campus and strive to deliver all the necessary knowledge, skills and experience required to start a career in the land-based industries which are so important within the region.”
Find out more about WCUC’s Lackham campus and the range of courses on offer here.
PICTURE: Wiltshire College & University Centre’s Sharon Jarvis, Deputy Head of Faculty – Land-based Engineering, and Richard Ingram, Livestock Manager, receive the IAgrE Team Achievement Award from IAgrE representatives Mike Whiting, Richard Robinson and Rupert Caplat.
