Student Placement Awards 2019

Posted 23 May 2019

Students, parents, employers and university staff gathered at Harper Adams on Friday to celebrate the achievements of 18 students during their placement year in industry.

A variety of awards were presented including the Aspire Prizes for personal development, the Buccleuch Estates Prize for the best Rural Enterprise and Land Management placement student and Development Trust Scholarship Awards. The Axworthy Cup and Robin Faccenda Prize was awarded for the highest achieving poultry industry placement student as well as the Agrovista Awards for BSc (Hons) agricultural students.

Opening the ceremony, Lecturer and Placement Manager Terry Pickthall commented: “The students we send out into the workplace each year and the quality of the jobs they secure never fails to amaze us. They work with a myriad of diverse and fascinating businesses, from the small and specialist to global corporations – all over the planet.

“Staff, students and employers working so well together is what makes Harper Adams so special and sees us achieve great things like first place in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards for job prospects for four years on the run.”

Will Nixon, 22, from Builth Wells, Powys, scooped both the Agrovista Prize and the Axworthy Cup and Robin Faccenda Prize following his outstanding performance at Stonegate: Free Range & Organic Egg Specialists and Producers. Will, who will graduate from the Agriculture with Farm Business Management degree in September, said: “When comparing myself now to the individual who started placement over a year ago I can notice a real difference in my attitude and confidence regarding work. I face challenges with a more positive mind-set and can use the skills from placement in future work, within any business I may work with.”

Sian Southwell, BSc (Hons) Agriculture student, was the Agrovista Prize runner-up, following her time in sales development at ForFarmers. Joint third were Aimee Withinshaw, BSc (Hons) Agriculture student, and Llyr Hazzelby, BSc (Hons) Agriculture, having amassed identical marks in their separate placements.

The Aspire Prizes for personal development went to:
- Countryside and Environment Management: Alex Pelton, BSc (Hons) Countryside and Environmental Management
- Food Technology and Innovation: Ceara Kaveney, BSc (Hons) Food Nutrition and Well Being
- Agriculture (Foundation): Clover Crosse, FdSc Agriculture with Mechanisation
- Business Management: Courtenay Mee, BSc (Hons) Agri-Business
- Agriculture (Honours degree): Emily Benfield, BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Animal Science.
- Mechanical Engineering: Gareth Clarke, MRes Off Road Vehicle Design
- Animals: Laura Little, BSc (Hons) Animal Behaviour and Welfare
- Rural Enterprise and Land Management: Matthew Thompson, BSc Rural Enterprise and Land Management
- Veterinary Physiotherapy: Sarah Marlor, BSc (Hons) Veterinary Physiotherapy

The Development Trust Awards were presented by the Deputy-Chairman of the Harper Adams Development Trust Clive Gurney, to students on the Harper Adams foundation science degree in Agriculture. Abbie Allen, BSc (Hons) Agriculture, for her work Glympton Estate in Oxfordshire, secured first place. Will Tooke, Foundation Agriculture with Mechanisation, took the honours for runner-up, following a placement at GT Ramply & Sons - becoming a key member of their harvest crew. Catherine Herniman, BSc (Hons) Agriculture with Animal Science, and Will Robbins, FdSc Agriculture, placed joint third in the awards.

Learn more about each of the students on the Harper blog.