The Pig Industry Scholarship programme at Harper Adams University is open for 2024.
The programme was developed by AHDB, the NPA and Harper Adams. Each year, it allows participating organisations to gain first access to those students looking for a one-year industry placement – many of whom go on to become valued, long-term, employees at the companies they work with.
Harper Adams students are currently beginning their search for their placements, which will begin next summer.
This year, eight organisations offering Pig Industry Scholarships came along to the Harper Adams University Scholarship Fair to promote the varied opportunities within their businesses. An estimated 400 students from across a range of undergraduate courses visited the Fair to talk to employers and their former placement scholars.
Scholars who have just returned from their placements shared their experiences over the past year in businesses within the sector, including pig genetics, food assurance, processing, marketing and nutrition. Each encouraged students looking for a placement to consider the pig industry.
Harper Adams University’s director of development and alumni relations Doris Taylor said: “It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm for the pig sector shared by this year’s scholars as they returned from their placements – and also to see a room brimming with students engaging with employers and researching the fantastic range of opportunities available to them at this year’s Scholarship Fair.”
NPA Chief Executive – and Harper Alumna – Lizzie Wilson gave a well-attended presentation to students as they began their searches, giving students an overview of the UK Pig Industry and the breadth of career opportunities within it.
She said she was glad to see ‘capable, enthusiastic, ambitious young entrants’ wanting to enter into the diverse industry of the pig sector and she was happy to push the ‘dynamic and progressive long and varied career’ it could provide.
Companies and businesses looking to find out more about the Pig Industry Scholarship Programme should contact the Harper Adams University Development Trust at developmenttrust@harper-adams.ac.uk
