Work experience was invaluable to South East Technological University (SETU) graduate Eoin Long who calls on the skills picked up at Mount Juliet while now working on another private estate as head gardener.
"SETU equips you with horticulture skills but they also equip you with a solid foundation of computer skills, small business enterprises and accounting which will aid anyone interested in setting up their own company." SETU Graduate, Eoin Long
SETU graduate Eoin started on the BSc in Horticulture (Kildalton) direct from secondary school – St Kieran’s College, Kilkenny – and progressed onto the BSc Land Management (Horticulture). He was based on the Waterford Cork Road Campus and Kildalton College.
A platform to reach my potential
I chose to study at SETU because I have always had a huge interest in the horticultural sector and loved working outdoors in gardens and in my own polytunnels. The BSc in Horticulture fitted with my interests and that's why I chose the course. SETU has an excellent name and I knew choosing SETU would give me the platform to reach my potential and build a bright career for myself. The link with Kildalton was another deciding factor as I knew I would have access to develop my practical skills using the facilities provided by them. I wanted to leave college with a good understanding of the theory but I needed to have a good handle on the practical skills as I would need to use these every day.
A hands-on education
SETU has allowed me to invest in my future and pursue my dream job. I graduated from SETU skilled, knowledgeable and confident. The overall experience was great I made friends for life in college who all share similar interests to me. The practical side of the course was very enjoyable as we were shown how to operate a broad range of machinery, propagate our own plants and the correct procedures to take when pruning and maintaining a broad range of plants. When I graduated from SETU I had acquired an extensive knowledge of plant identification which is very important in my current employment.
Advice
I would advise anybody with similar interests to myself to pursue a career in horticulture. It’s an active, hands-on, outdoor job with great job satisfaction and variety. If you like the outdoors and are willing to work in all weathers then it’s the career path to go down. It is a very broad industry that covers many different areas but the best part is you are always learning new skills every day.
Diverse modules
Without my qualification from SETU, I wouldn’t have got any of the jobs I got after college. Horticulture graduates from SETU have a great name in the sector and are highly employable. SETU equips you with horticulture skills but they also equip you with a solid foundation of computer skills, small business enterprises and accounting which will aid anyone interested in setting up their own company. The education I got at SETU gave me the confidence to apply for jobs within the sector as I feel I graduated highly skilled and qualified.
From placement to full-time employment
I completed my work placement at Mount Juliet Estate as a craft gardener. I was fortunate to work under highly skilled gardeners which gave me the chance to expand my knowledge and develop new skills. Some of the gardeners were working there for over 30 years and it was fantastic to learn from them. To a skilled gardener pruning a rose is a simple task, but someone who doesn't know how to can cause damage. I learned first-hand to carry out tasks such as this daily. I saw how the head gardener delegated to his team daily. This has aided me in my current employment as I now am the head gardener on a private estate in county Tipperary and I call on the skills I learned at Mount Juliet Estate every day.
