Responsible Use of Antimicrobials courses are going online

Responsible Use of Antimicrobials courses are now available as online webinars.

The face-to-face workshops, organised by AI Services, remain the preferred approach for producers. However, Covid-19 restrictions have led to a large number of courses being cancelled.  Webinars are an additional delivery method that has been put in place as an alternative to cancelled face-to-face courses and also help to address the concerns of some producers about attending public meetings.

The courses, delivered by AI Services on behalf of CAFRE, will be live-streamed using the same team of vets who deliver the face-to-face workshops.  They will cover the same practical areas covered in the face-to-face workshops and you will be able to ask questions, of the vets, during the presentation. Attendance certificates will be issued to eligible producers on completion of the course. This will meet the current training requirement under the NI Beef & Lamb Farm Quality Assurance Scheme.

The first webinar took place in mid-November presented by AI Services vet, Brian Kennedy, MRCVS. Forty-five beef and sheep producers pre-registered and logged on to the event. Overall feedback about webinar has been very positive, both in terms of the quality of the course and the use of the online delivery method. A further 300 producers have already have enrolled for courses over the coming weeks.

The online webinars will not be everyone’s cup of tea for various reasons such as poor rural broadband or lack of confidence in using this approach. The face-to-face workshops will still be the preferred approach both for the vets delivering the training and for most producers and will continue to be the main method of delivery – Covid-19 restrictions permitting.

If you are interested in participating in an online webinar it is recommended that you check your broadband speed before applying. It is recommendedthat you have upload and download speeds of 2MB/sec to allow you to get the full benefit of the presentation which includes a video clip.

If you are interested in attending an online webinar, then you will need to pre-register, as with the face-to-face workshops. Dates of available courses and enrolment details are listed on the FFKS pages of the CAFRE website.

Notes to editors: 

1. The College of Agriculture Food & Rural enterprise (CAFRE) is responsible for the delivery of the Farm Family Key Skills (FFKS) programme.
2. For more information on FFKS, please email: kt.admin@daera-ni.gov.uk or call Knowledge Transfer Administration on 028 9442 6790.
3. The FFKS programme is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD).
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5. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office.

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