Companies involved in the pig sector have an opportunity to take on a Harper Adams University (HAU) student for a year-long placement under the next round of the Pig Industry Scholarship Programme (PISP).
PISP was developed by AHDB, the NPA and HAU in 2012 and has provided 50 student placements to a variety of companies. Recruitment is now underway for companies to employ and mentor students during 2025/26.
The deadline to express your interest in getting involved with the programme is Monday, September 2.
Sponsoring companies get priority access to placement-seeking students from HAU, although If companies don’t find a student that matches their requirements, they don’t have to proceed.
AHDB said the programme is a fantastic way to show that you’re a business that cares about upskilling the next generation and it is a great way to attract new talent. “The financial investment can also be as effective as advertising in the national farming press and is often tax-deductible – what’s not to like? The scholarship programme is a win-win for both business and student,” it said.
Cranswick is among the companies to have benefited from placements and it was keen to highlight the benefits. “Our PISP students have always had a positive attitude and have been happy to participate in a wide range of projects, completing them all to a high standard, and our current student is no exception – she’s been a great addition to the team,” it said.
“It’s a brilliant opportunity to give students access to not only the pig industry but the wider food industry, and show them the breadth of career opportunities available. The students are based within a team but also get to travel through the whole business, which gives them responsibility as well as exposure to the roles in the wider food and agriculture industries.”
A decade of pig placements under PISP was celebrated at an NPA reception at the recent British Pig & Poultry Fair.
2023/24 recipients
In May, representatives of the PISP steering committee joined sponsoring companies at the HAU Development Trust Scholarship Presentation to award the 2023/24 recipients.
The annual event sees students, sponsors, donors, university employees and trustees getting together to congratulate this year’s scholarship recipients and to thank the sponsors and donors.
The students have received a scholarship valued at £4,500 and will begin a one-year paid work placement with the sponsoring companies this summer.
Who’s who?
Back row left to right (sponsors): Simon Thorpe (Red Tractor), Hugh Crabtree (PISP), Lizzie Bentley (Yorkshire Farmers Livestock Marketing), Chris Barlow (Yorkshire Farmers Livestock Marketing), Gemma Riley (Cranswick), Emma Slater (Cranswick)
Front row left to right (scholars): Daisy Cooper (Red Tractor), Gabby Nicholson (Cranswick), Emma Holmes (Yorkshire Farmers Livestock Marketing), Alex Potter (Cranswick), Charlotte Hall (Cranswick)