ThisIsFET at the National Ploughing Championships

The 88^th National Ploughing Championships kicked off on Tuesday, 17th September. The three day event saw more than 250,000 visitors descended on a 200-acre site in Ballintrane, Co Carlow.

This years Championships were launched by President Michael D Higgins and hosted over 300 competitors and 1,700 exhibitors, including countless education and business opportunities. Amongst them was the ThisIsFET stand where we had staff from Education and Training Boards (ETBs), colleges and learning centres on hand to chat to you about your education and training options and answer any questions you might have. 

We also brought a digger simulator from Laois & Offaly ETB, a virtual reality welding machine from Donegal ETB, and Ballyfermott College of Further Education are providing experiences in TV production. We also had a whole programme of talks on the Learning stage over the three days.

Elsewhere you could find the farming demos featuring multi-million-euro farm machinery and jaw dropping fashion shows. Visitors could also find a world class enterprise arena boasting opportunities from at home and abroad. The National Ploughing Championships are thought to have an economic impact of €35 million.

Among those who took part were numerous employers and education institutions eager to showcase their range of diverse jobs and courses on offer. Stalls included An Garda Siocháná, the All Ireland Business Foundation, the National Adult Literacy Association (NALA), and a broad range of Further Education and Training Institutions.