Members of the Local Skills Improvement Plan team visited Hartpury University and Hartpury College on Thursday 16 January to check out the range of facilities that have been funded by the Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF) and the Skills Development Fund (SDF).
Hartpury College Deputy Principal, Claire Whitworth, was on hand to take the guests on a tour of the impressive agriculture facilities including the Digital Studio. The student-employee-industry-facing space is a pioneering teaching facility that allows students to immerse themselves in agricultural tasks and develop their skills in precision agriculture, prior to supplementing with practical activity in the field.
Guests enjoyed a hands-on practical demonstration using the tractor simulator, manoeuvring tractors and combine harvesters virtually. They also met some of the students using these facilities, who were able to provide guidance on how to use the simulators. Finally, they viewed the building progress of the LSIF-funded SMART Livestock Hub that is due to be completed by 31 March, a further facility for students and industry to hone their skills using the latest industry technology, before checking out the DeLaval robotic milkers.
Hartpury University and Hartpury College are at the forefront of adopting technology both within the curriculum and within the on-campus farming operation. The LSIP team explored how technology is being used to report back specific details about the wellbeing and productivity of animals to help learners take care of them and make changes and adjustments to their management practices.
The day provided a useful opportunity to showcase how funding is helping to advance agricultural skills in Gloucestershire and beyond.
