Thomas Saunders: Why I chose a Rural Enterprise and Land Management Degree Apprenticeship.

As part of National Apprenticeships Week NFU Ambassador Thomas Saunders tells us in his own words why he chose a Degree Apprenticeship.

“I have always had an interest in rural life through my farming background. Whilst I am very passionate about agriculture, I wanted to learn more about the political, economic and geographical aspects of land too. Therefore, Rural Enterprise and Land Management ticked all of these boxes.

As a member of young farmers, I was very aware of Harper Adams, several of my friends and their siblings have attended or are currently at the university.

When I realised that Harper Adams offered a degree apprenticeship through the university website, I was very pleased. It was exactly what I was looking for!

The mix of being able to work and learn on the job, whilst still studying for a degree was very appealing to me.

I approached a company about the apprenticeship and whether there would be any possibility for me to join the firm. I was very fortunate that the company took me on.

The degree apprenticeship is a great programme and I am a massive advocate for this route. It is a fantastic way to ‘earn and learn’. I have recently become a full-time student at Harper Adams, as I have changed my career ambitions and wish to follow a path into teaching. However, I cannot fault the apprenticeship programme or the company, both were fantastic!

The apprenticeship programme at Harper is a brilliant set-up and so varied, I would recommend it to anyone. The opportunity to work for a few weeks and then study for a week creates a very good balance. It is a great experience to work within a company and I always looked forward to my weeks at Harper.”

The important thing to remember is an apprentice journey can change and the support is there to make sure that you are on the right track!