The welfare of students is key to the success of The Bedford College Group.
The latest initiative involves those destined for careers in agriculture, farming and land-based industries.
Only 1% of UK workers are employed in agriculture yet the industry is responsible for 22% of the deaths at work. Accidents involving machinery and large animals account for 14,000 physical injuries a year – but often overlooked are the high rate of suicides among the farming world.
All these areas of concern were covered in an innovative new training session held at Shuttleworth College on Tuesday February 4th – in advance of the mental health Mind Your Head week from February 10th https://www.yellowwellies.org/mind-your-head/
Two classrooms full of students were taken through a presentation using Virtual Reality headsets to put them right in the middle of a range of hazards when working on the land or farm yard. They were also encouraged to consider the challenges to well-being of working long hours in often isolated conditions.
The Yellow Wellies brand fronts the Farm Safety Foundation set up by NFU Mutual to reduce deaths and injuries on farm lands.
Careers in the great outdoors? www.shuttleworth.ac.uk
