29 January 2026
By Tom Collins
tom@TheCork.ie
With the aim of upskilling Ireland’s agricultural workforce, FRS Training has opened a new training course location at Corrin Event Centre, Fermoy
FRS Farm Services also requires 11 farm operators in Cork for the busy calving season with workers able to earn over €10,000 in 3 months
FRS Training has launched a new regional training location at the Corrin Event Centre in Fermoy to serve farmers and workers in Cork, providing essential agricultural and health & safety courses.
Eight training courses in areas such as ATV/Quad driving, safe use of pesticides, chainsaw handling and tractor driving have been scheduled between January and April.
As of November 2023, all ATV/Quad owners must sit a training course to operate a quad on their land. The FRS Training quad driving course will take place on January 27th and February 25th. The QQI Chainsaw operations course includes correct use, maintenance and health and safety lessons, this course takes place on the 16th and 17th of February. The Boom sprayer course is scheduled to take place on the 20th and 21st of April. All farmers that sit the Pesticide Spraying course will receive a Pesticide Usage (PU) number.
Meanwhile, tractor driving courses will take place on the 28th of January and 8th of April, and a manual handling course and Basic First Aid course will take place on the 9th of February.
The Corrin Event Centre venue provides further scope for more courses in the future. FRS Training launched this new facility to allow local farm owners and workers to improve their confidence with important agricultural equipment.
Ben Fearn, Head of Sales and Operations at FRS Training, said:
“We at FRS Training are thrilled to have opened our new training location in Corrin Event Centre, broadening our reach to over 50 venues covering all counties in Ireland. This venue will be a focal point of key education and training for Cork farmers and other workers especially due to the dangerous nature of the profession.
“Since 2014, 38% of Irish workplace fatalities were on farms, despite the industry accounting for only 11% of the workforce.
“Confidence in using equipment is vital to safety on farms, and we make sure that our courses provide the most up-to-date advice on all makes of equipment in an engaging and informative way.”
Agricultural job opportunities
Meanwhile, as farmers face into a busy 2026 calving season, FRS Farm Services is seeking to recruit 11 farm operators in Cork.
The jobs opportunity has full-time, part-time and flexible working options with regular workers being eligible to earn €10,000 over a three-month period.
FRS Farm Services has open positions available in Co Cork that require a range of duties such as Milking, Calf Rearing, Night Calving, Animal Husbandry, Machinery Work and General Farm jobs. Each worker will also be entitled to PRSI, holiday pay and sick pay. Although, experience of working in an agricultural setting would be beneficial for applicants, FRS Farm Services said it is not essential.
About FRS Training
FRS Training is a division FRS Co-Op, a farmer-owned co-operative with over 40 years of service to Irish industry and enterprise. It is a nationally recognised training provider, committed to delivering high-quality, education that empowers individuals and strengthens workplaces.
Founded in 1980, FRS has trained over 180,000 learners and is now entering our fifth decade of helping people through skill development, certification, and confidence-building.