Students from Savonia university has to do practical training at a farm or company for 90 days during the summer period after their first year studies. The content of placement: 1/3 crop production work, 1/3 animal husbandry work and 1/3 other work (for example forestry work, agricultural fair‐ visit, painting, fence repair)
The following requirements are imposed on the farm or company
- Production should be large enough and developing;
- There should be versatile work available;
- Work safety and health should be in order;
- Supervisor of the training should have agricultural; education and interest to teach and guide the trainee;
- The farm should support learning and social development!
- Salary/payment for student?
The application of companies/farms include:
- Contact information;
- Production, arable land, plant production, forestry;
- Information about livestock, machinery, buildings, use of contractor;
- Education, guidance, accommodation and meals, what kind of work available;
- After improvement a contract is signed between Savonia and the farm/company for one or several years;
- Placements are registered
The agreement between student and company includes:
- Name of the company, name of the trainee;
- What kind of work the trainee will do (plant production, livestock, other work, workload;
- Accommodation, meals, payment, working period and working days);
- The farmers commitment of guidance and give the information for the written tasks of training.
Preparation of Student’s placement
- Second year students will present their placement experiences to the first‐year students;
- They check the list of the companies;
- Can go for pre‐training period to the farm (1‐2 weeks);
- Have a short conversation with their teacher /supervisor about the placement and personal aims of their practical training;
- Evaluation if the farm or company is suitable for their aims;
- Make their own targets of the placement;
- Write a CV and a motivation letter to the farm/company;
- Contact and visit the farm /company;
- Take part in preparation lessons about work/ labor legislation, work safety, protection against animal diseases and instructions for the written tasks of training.
Preparation of company of the placement
Information to the farms/companies will be sent by email before placement, and its content is:
- Curriculum of the education;
- Content and the purpose of the placement;
- Labor legislation;
- Assessment: include criteria, certificate to be full filled contract of employment to be full filled;
- The length of placement is 90 working days (8 hours/day) during 5 months period (May‐ September);
- The content of placement: 1/3 crop production work, 1/3 animal husbandry work and 1/3 other work (for example forestry work, agricultural fair‐ visit, painting, fence repair).
Responsibilities during the placement
After placement
- Student finalizes written tasks in Moodle
- Give feedback about the placement
- Introduce his/her experiences, learning and the farm
- company in seminar for the first‐year student