Clan Trust grant helps East Norfolk Sixth Form College students explore careers in sustainable agriculture
Environmental Science students from East Norfolk Sixth Form College were recently able to attend a regional agriculture and sustainability conference thanks to support from the Clan Trust, giving them the chance to see firsthand how the subjects they study can shape real careers and real change.
For the students, the visit was an opportunity to step outside the classroom and experience how environmental science, agriculture and sustainability come together in practice. Talks and discussions covered topics such as crop research, food security and sustainable land management, helping students understand how scientific knowledge is used to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the sector.
Their teacher, Jennifer Baker, explained that seeing these ideas in action made a lasting impression.
“Attending the conference was valuable because it allowed students to see how topics from the specification are applied in practice,” she said. “It helps make the science they are learning about relevant, memorable and relatable.”
Experiences like this can play an important role in helping young people think about their future. By hearing from professionals working across the industry and seeing how their studies connect to real world issues, students are able to explore the wide range of career opportunities open to them.
“It’s so important for students to understand how they can apply their learning in the real world,” Jennifer explained. “It helps them identify careers or the further qualifications they may need and gives them the opportunity to develop some much needed soft skills which are hard to replicate in the classroom.”
Support from the Clan Trust also helped remove a barrier that can prevent some students from taking part in opportunities like this. For many young people, even relatively small costs such as transport can make trips and visits difficult to access.
“Our students come from a wide variety of backgrounds and the cost of transport, even small, can pose a barrier to accessing trips and visits to employers,” Jennifer said. “By covering the cost of transport, no students were excluded from the trip.”
Ensuring that all students can access experiences like this allows young people to discover the wide range of careers available across agriculture, environmental science and sustainability.
The impact of the visit has already been felt. Two of the students who attended have since applied to Harper Adams University and said the trip helped shape their decision.
Through grants like this, the Clan Trust continues to support opportunities that help young people discover their potential and take their first steps towards exciting futures in rural and environmental industries.
